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THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


The Jewel Series 


THE DIAMOND STORY BOOK 

Compiled by Penrhyn W. Coussens. Illus- 
trations in color by Ethel Green . . net $1.50 

THE EMERALD STORY BOOK 

Stories of Spring, Nature, and Easter. By 

Ada and Eleanor Skinner. Illustrations in 
color by Maxfield Parrish ... net $1.50 


THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

Tales of Courage and Heroism. Retold by 
Penrhyn W. Coussens. Illustrations in color 
by Maxfield Parrish net $1.50 







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Drawn by Maxfield Parrish 


HEROISM 


THE 

RUBY STORY BOOK 

Tales of Courage and Heroism 


RETOLD BY j 

PENRHYN W.^COUSSENS 

EDITOR “THE DIAMOND STORY BOOK,” “A CHILD’S 
BOOK OF STORIES,” “POEMS CHILDREN LOVE,” 
“ONE THOUSAND BOOKS FOR CHILDREN,” ETC. 


FRONTISPIECE BY 

MAXFIELD PARRISH 



NEW YORK 

DUFFIELD & COMPANY 

1916 


/ 



Copyright, 1916 

BY DUFFIELD & COMPANY 



SEP 19 1916 
©Cl. A 43773 5 
*>M> / . 





In loving memory of 
my Mother 
this book is dedicated. 


i 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 


The Courage of Grace Darling . . . 3 

The Ploughman Who Won Knight- 
hood 7 

The Cid and King Alphonso . . . . i i 
The Six Brave Burghers of Calais . . 26 

The Daring of Black Agnes .... 31 

Saint Francis of Assisi 35 

Saint Cuthbert 45 

David and Jonathan 59 

Daniel in the Lions’ Den .... 70 

Magna Carta 75 

Walter Raleigh and His Cloak . . 83 

Dietrich 93 

William, Count of Orange . . . . 100 

Hettel the Hegeling 1 14 

Sir Andrew Barton 122 

Hagen 133 

King Rother’s Messengers . . . .143 

King Rother’s Journey 149 

The Messengers Freed 158 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


The Conjurer 165 

Lord Beichan and the Moor’s Daugh- 
ter 178 

Hengest and Horsa 186 

St. George and the Dragon . . . .193 

Robin Hood and King Richard . . . 206 

Havelok the Dane 212 

St. Andrew’s Fight with the Wizard 225 

Oliver and the Giant 233 

King Richard and the Minstrel . . 245 

Horatius at the Bridge 258 

The Return of Odysseus 266 

The First Christmas Tree .... 277 

The Capture of Vincennes .... 282 

The Pilgrim Fathers 288 

Paul Revere’s Ride 294 

A Perfect Gentle Knight 301 

“Remember the Alamo” 305 

Peter, the Hero of Haarlem . . . .311 

Roger Williams 314 

The Fall of Quebec 320 

Nathan Hale, Patriot 325 

The Spartan Three Hundred . . . 337 


PREFACE 


“The Ruby Story Book” is the third volume 
in the “Jewel” series, and consists of stories 
relating to courage and chivalry — the valor of 
the saint as well as that of the warrior. 

In these strenuous days of business activity 
too little attention is given to the implanting 
in the youthful mind the thought of disinter- 
ested courtesy or of knightly honor, and it is 
the aim of this book to be of some assistance in 
this direction. 


THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


THE COURAGE OF GRACE DARLING 


A GROUP of twenty desolate rocks, lying off 
the coast of Northumberland, form what are 
known as the Fame Islands. When the tide 
is low these rocks may be seen, but at high 
tide most of them are entirely covered by 
water, so that even in the best of weather 
sailors give this treacherous spot a wide berth. 

One foggy, rainy day in September, 1838, 
the captain of the ship “Forfarshire” at- 
tempted to make the channel which runs be- 
tween the islands and the mainland. On the 
day previous the vessel had sprung a leak, and 
despite the efforts of the crew and passengers 
(of whom there were forty) the water in the 
hold gained so that their plight had become 
desperate. 

To add to their distress a very high sea was 
running, and this, together v;ith the fog and 

3 


4 


THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


rain, made the effort to navigate the channel 
practically a forlorn hope. But to reach land 
was their only chance for life, and so this was 
taken. 

It was an awful moment. The ship struck 
on a rock, and one can hardly imagine the 
grinding, shivering shock. A few of the crew 
managed to get a boat over the side, and in 
this seven of them pulled away from the ship. 
These were picked up the next day, all of 
them in an exhausted condition. 

The sea seemed anxious to wreak its venge- 
ance on the ill-fated craft, and in a few min- 
utes a huge wave lifted up the ship bodily and 
let it down upon the rock. With a rending 
crash, it broke in two amidships. 

On the farthest from the land of this deadly 
group of rocks is an island called Brownsman, 
and upon this stood a lighthouse, the keeper 
of which was a man named Darling. Living 
with him were his wife and daughter Grace, 
a winsome maiden of about twenty years. 

It may have been the storm which kept the 
latter awake on this particular night, but it so 
happened that she could not sleep. Now and 


COURAGE OF GRACE DARLING $ 

again she would look through the window at 
the sea, which was swirling fiercely at the 
foot of the lighthouse. 

Suddenly she thought she heard a faint cry. 
Opening the window she listened intently, and 
heard it again. Running to her father, she 
awakened him, and together they stood at the 
open window. But though both heard the 
cries, they could not pierce the gloom of the 
night. 

At length came daybreak, and with the 
gathering light, by the help of a telescope, 
they saw the wreck on the island of Longstone, 
about a mile distant. 

Grace started for the one boat (a rather 
clumsy one, and hard to row) belonging to the 
lighthouse, but though her father tried to turn 
her from any thought of launching it in such 
a wild sea, she could not bear the idea of mak- 
ing no attempt to rescue those who were in 
peril, and said she would go alone if he would 
not accompany her. 

So she had her way, and each taking an oar, 
they commenced their dangerous trip. The 
boat was a heavy one and unwieldy even in 


6 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


smooth water, so the task of guiding it in such 
a storm may be imagined. But after some 
hours of torturing labor, their efforts were 
rewarded by reaching the rock for which they 
had set out. 

After having reached the island it was no 
easy matter to land there, but at length Dar- 
ling managed it. They found ten exhausted 
survivors, and it was an almost superhuman 
task to get them into the boat and back to the 
lighthouse, but in time the work of rescue was 
accomplished. 

As an example of courage, this achievement 
by Grace Darling and her father will never 
be forgotten. To attempt the rescue meant 
almost certain death, but on their part there 
was no wavering. 


* THE PLOUGHMAN WHO WON 
KNIGHTHOOD 


In the reign of Kenneth III of Scotland, that 
country was invaded by the wild and fierce 
Danes. The King gathered an army together, 
and at Luncarty he faced the Vikings of the 
north. 

There a desperate battle was fought, and 
the conflict continued for many hours, but at 
last the Danes were victorious, and the Scots 
were forced to retreat, fleeing in confusion. 
Their path lay down a long lane on either 
side of which was a high stone wall. 

In a field, on one side of this lane, were a 
ploughman and his two sons, calmly at work. 
Seeing the Scots run in such disorder, the old 
man soon discovered the reason. Without 

* It is interesting to know that the descendants 
of this ploughman still bear these same arms with 
the motto, “Serva jugum.” 

7 


8 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


hesitation he seized the yoke from the neck of 
the oxen he had been driving, and ordered his 
sons to follow his example. 

The three of them then sprang into the lane, 
barring the fugitives. Armed only with the 
wooden ox-yokes, they felled with mighty 
blows all they could reach, and having stayed 
the fight, the old ploughman derided them, 
asking them if they were slaves fleeing from 
the whip of the master. 

Soundly did he berate them, and doughty 
were the blows the three dealt. 

“Turn back! turn back!” he cried. “If you 
have to die, die as free men, and not as slaves 
of the heathen.” 

His words and his blows had such effect 
upon them that they turned, and with the 
ploughman at their head, once more attacked 
the enemy. 

* The Danes thought that a fresh army had 
come against them, and in their turn they fled. 
This put new hearts into the Scots, who had 
turned defeat into victory. The Danes were 
driven back to the sea, and less than half their 
number lived to reach the ships. 


THE PLOUGHMAN WHO WON 9 

After the battle King Kenneth gave orders 
that the brave ploughman and his sons be 
dressed in costly raiment and brought before 
him. But they had no love for fine clothes, 
and so went before their King wearing the 
shabby garments to which they were used. 

The people were all eager to see the men 
who had served their country so well, and a 
great crowd gathered to see them as they 
passed along the road. 

And so they reached the King’s palace. 
There the ruler sat upon his throne, sur- 
rounded by gaily clad courtiers, between 
whom and the three men, covered with mud 
and dust, was a great contrast. 

The King asked the ploughman how he 
could reward the great service he had rend- 
ered, and the old man replied: 

“Your Majesty, give me as much land as a 
falcon may fly over without alighting.” 

“A modest request,” said the King. And he 
commanded that it be done. 

So they all went out into a field near the 
palace, and a falcon was let loose. The bird 
rose high in the air, and soon was but a speck 


10 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


in the distance. It was followed by men 
mounted on swift horses, and soon they were 
out of sight. 

At last it alighted upon a stone, and the 
distance it had flown was eight miles, and all 
of this land was given to the ploughman and 
his sons, each of whom was knighted. 

The King also directed, in order to further 
commemorate their deed, that they should be 
given a shield of silver upon which should be 
pictured three red shields, to show that the 
ox-yokes of the ploughman and his sons had 
been as shields to their country. On each side 
was shown a ploughman wielding an ox-yoke, 
and at the top was a falcon. 


THE CID AND KING ALPHONSO 


King Fernando, ruler of all Spain, knew that 
his end was near. He had three sons and two 
daughters, the eldest of his children being Don 
Sancho, who naturally considered himself to 
be heir to the throne. 

But the King had little love for his first- 
born, and lavished his favors upon his second 
son, Don Alphonso. So he decided that Don 
Sancho should not rule the whole kingdom, 
and therefore so arranged matters that upon 
his death the country should be divided into 
three kingdoms, to be ruled by his three sons; 
and to his two daughters he bequeathed two 
cities. 

To Don Sancho he left the kingdom of 
Castile; to Don Alphonso, the kingdom of 
Leon, and to Don Garcia, his third son, the 
kingdom of Galicia. 


ii 


12 


THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


To his daughters, Urraca and Elvira, he 
gave the government of the cities of Zamora 
and Toro. 

And he caused each of them to swear upon 
the altar not to make war upon brother or 
sister. 

When King Fernando died the country was 
divided as had been arranged, and for a while 
things went well. But the heart of Don 
Sancho was filled with jealousy, and he felt 
that he had been cheated out of his inheri- 
tance. So upon the slightest pretext he made 
war upon his brother, Don Garcia, whom he 
overthrew and put into prison. 

He then turned his attention to Don 
Alphonso, whom he defeated and sent into 
exile. 

Now he cast his eyes upon the two cities 
which were governed by his sisters Urraca and 
Elvira, but just at this time, when he had 
almost gained his heart’s desire, he was slain 
by one of his own knights. 

Don Alphonso had taken refuge in the 
neighboring country of Toledo, whose king 
liked him well, and now he returned from his 


THE CID AND KING ALPHONSO 13 

exile. After taking counsel with his sisters, 
he laid claim to the whole of the kingdom, 
with the exception of the cities of Zamora and 
Elvira. 

Then the councillors of the three kingdoms 
gathered together, and while the men of Leon 
and Galicia were ready to receive him as their 
ruler, those from Castile insisted that he 
should first take oath that he was in no way 
connected with the killing of Don Sancho, 
who had been their king. 

Don Alphonso had been accompanied dur- 
ing his exile by twelve faithful knights, and 
all of them declared their willingness to take 
the oath, and thereby show that they were in- 
nocent of the murder of Don Sancho. 

It was decided that the ceremony should 
take place in the cathedral of Burgos, and on 
the appointed day the church was crowded. 
But when the time came, no man could be 
found who was brave enough to put the oath 
to Don Alphonso, who was an exceedingly 
proud man, and might not forget the indig- 
nity when he should be king. 

Then came the valorous knight, Diaz de 


i 4 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

Bivar, the Cid Campeador (or King’s Cham- 
pion), who had been friend and coun- 
sellor to both Don Fernando and Don San- 
cho. He was a man who knew no fear, and 
when he saw that none would put the oath to 
Don Alphonso, he looked full at him and said : 

“Don Alphonso, before all these people I 
call upon thee and thy twelve knights to swear 
upon the Holy Altar that none of you killed 
Don Sancho, or in any way had concern in his 
death.” 

With one voice Don Alphonso and his 
twelve knights took oath that none of them 
was in any way whatever connected with the 
death of Don Sancho. 

Three times did the Cid put the oath, and 
then he said to Don Alphonso: “Thou hast 
sworn innocence, and if thy word be false, 
may thou die by the hand of a traitor.” 

Because of his pride, Don Alphonso was 
angered in his heart on account of the insist- 
ance of the Cid, and there were those who 
feared for the brave knight. 

Then was Don Alphonso crowned King of 
Galicia, Leon, and Castile, and the Cid 


THE CID AND KING ALPHONSO 15 

thought it wise to absent himself from the 
court, feeling that he had gained the ill-will of 
his ruler. 

But as he was making preparation to leave, 
a messenger came from the King demanding 
his presence. 

The Cid hastened to the King, who sur- 
prised him by the warmth of his greeting. 
And yet something seemed to say, “Be on your 
guard.” 

Now His Majesty recognized the valor and 
wisdom of Diaz, and knew that he would be 
very foolish not to enlist his services. But the 
Champion’s having forced him to take the 
oath thrice had wounded his pride greatly, 
and this he could not forget. He strove to 
show no trace of anger in his speech, and in 
this he was so successful that the Cid took the 
oath of allegiance, swore to serve his ruler 
faithfully, and was appointed chief counsellor. 

Of course, there were knights and courtiers 
who were jealous, and they took care, by this 
way or that, to fan the King’s resentment 
against the Cid. 

But of this the Champion was unaware, and 


16 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


having given his allegiance, his only thought 
was to uphold the honor of his ruler. And 
this he did through mighty deeds, so that the 
country rang with his praise. Many battles 
did he fight, both single-handed and at the 
head of his soldiers, and always was he vic- 
torious, so that the King began to forget the 
grudge he bore, and showered lands and 
money upon the hero. 

Now this did not lessen the jealousy against 
him and when he would leave the court there 
would be whisperings, which Don Alphonso 
was intended to overhear, about the exultant 
bearing of the Cid, so that the ire in the King’s 
heart would be renewed. But the object of 
these attentions was too high-minded to even 
suspect such things, and his only thought was 
how to further the King’s interests. 

One day Don Alphonso sent for Diaz, and 
requested him to demand the tribute which 
the Lords of Cordova and Seville owed as 
vassals, and had not paid. To this the Cid 
agreed joyfully, and gathering together his 
knights and men-at-arms, he was soon on his 
way to Seville. 


THE CID AND KING ALPHONSO 17 

On reaching his destination, he found that 
the King of Granada and some nobles of Cas- 
tile were making war upon the King of 
Seville, and were pressing him grievously. At 
this he was wroth, and ordered the knights of 
Castile to at once withdraw their forces, as 
they were fighting against a vassal of their 
over-lord. 

But they paid no attention to him, and so 
the Cid attacked them with such fury that they 
soon fled, leaving behind them many dead, 
wounded and prisoners. 

Having thus succored the King of Seville, 
the Champion returned to Don Alphonso, 
bearing with him the tributes and also valu- 
able gifts. 

The King bestowed fresh honors upon Diaz, 
and for the time being he loved him. But it 
was not long before the jealous nobles man- 
aged to remind him of the thrice-given oath, 
but to do him justice he tried hard to forget 
the matter. 

For some time Don Alphonso had trouble 
with the heathen Moors, who frequently 
harassed his people, and so he declared war 


1 8 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


against them. It happened that just at this 
time the Cid Campeador was stricken with ill- 
ness, and so Don Alphonso set out himself at 
the head of the expedition against the enemy. 

During the King’s absence, another Moor- 
ish army attacked Castile, and then the Cid, 
although not yet recovered, arose from his bed, 
and gathering together his company, fell upon 
the Moors, defeating them with great 
slaughter, capturing all their supplies and 
taking many prisoners. He drove them as far 
as Toledo, whose King had shown so much 
kindness to Don Alphonso during his exile. 

The news of this victory soon reached Don 
Alphonso, who admired the courage and de- 
termination of his heroic vassal. But the jeal- 
ous nobles endeavored to turn their lord 
against him, saying how craftily he had en- 
tered Toledo, and that between the two king- 
doms there was a treaty of peace. They 
pointed out that his object was to create en- 
mity between the two kingdoms by breaking 
this treaty, and to belittle his own ruler, even 
as he had done in the administering of the 
oath. 


THE CID AND KING ALPHONSO 19 

Really against his own judgment Don Al- 
phonso listened to their unjust words, and the 
more he thought of them the greater became 
his anger. Hastily he returned to Castile, and 
refusing any opportunity for defence or ex- 
planation on the part of the Cid, he banished 
him immediately from the country. 

This unmerited treatment aroused the in- 
dignation of Diaz, who insisted upon the 
thirty days of grace that was the privilege of 
a noble. This was denied him by the King, 
who, however, gave him nine days’ grace, but 
ordered that he should go into exile alone, and 
that any person who should go with him, or 
in any way give him aid, should be despoiled 
of all that he had. 

The Champion had no thought but that 
Don Alphonso visited his anger upon him be- 
cause he had led his army into the country of 
Toledo, although no harm had resulted, but 
the King of Castile knew in his own heart that 
the only reason was the memory of the thrice- 
administered oath, which the jealous nobles 
had not permitted him to forget. 

So the Cid retired to his castle at Bivar, and 


20 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


found that it had been ransacked and closed 
by the King’s order. He then rode to Burgos 
and found that the same thing had been done 
to his castle there. 

He gathered the townfolk together, and 
asked who would go with him into exile. Soon 
a great company rallied around him, and one 
of them, Martin Antolinez, supplied them 
with food and drink. 

Now it is one thing to get a crowd together 
and quite another to keep them all provided 
with victuals, and how to do this worried him 
greatly. At last he hit upon a plan. Filling 
two large and immensely strong chests with 
sand, he had each one fitted with double locks. 
Then he summoned two well-known money 
lenders, and showing them the two chests, 
made them believe that they were filled with 
treasure. Upon this security he requested a 
loan, and this they readily made him, having 
faith in the value of the pledge. The Cid 
made them promise that the chests should not 
be opened for the space of one year, and then 
only in case the loan were not repaid with in- 
terest. 


THE CID AND KING ALPHONSO 21 


Diaz was now supplied with money, but he 
was ashamed at having to secure it by such 
means. Still he had no doubt whatever that 
the repayment would be made within the year. 

And now, with his company, he began his 
advance upon the heathen Moors, successfully 
besieging their towns and castles, and taking 
much wealth from them. At last he reached 
the city of Alcocer, supposed to be impreg- 
nable. For some months this city held out, 
and the Cid saw that it could not be taken by 
force, so calling into counsel his chief officers, 
they decided that strategy must be used. A 
plan was agreed upon, and in great haste the 
whole army retreated. 

Seeing this the Moors rejoiced, and sallying 
forth from their stronghold, they went in pur- 
suit. 

The Cid, seeing the success of his ruse, 
directed his men to increase their speed, and 
soon they were moving like the wind, with the 
Moors following faster and faster. 

When they had reached what the Cid con- 
sidered to be a sufficient distance from the city, 
he led his company round in a half-circle, 


22 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


thereby getting between the Moors and their 
base. Then, turning again, the pursued be- 
came the pursuers, and falling upon them with 
great fury, defeated them utterly. 

Diaz then entered the city, taking possession 
of it in the name of his King, to whom he sent 
a share of the spoil, which was great. 

Now the defeated Moors, seeing that they 
could not cope successfully with their valiant 
foe, sent to the King of Valencia for aid. He 
listened to their entreaties and added to their 
forces a strong army of well-mounted horse- 
men, who were given orders to capture the 
Cid. 

So Alcocer was again besieged, and now 
the Campeador faced a more numerous foe 
than he had ever done before, so that the city 
was hemmed in from all directions. 

The siege continued for nearly three months, 
and then food became scarce, and it could be 
seen that if they remained in the city they 
would die of starvation. Then the Champion 
addressed his followers, saying: “There is but 
little food left, and two sources remain open 
to us. Shall we remain here and starve, or 


THE CID AND KING ALPHONSO 23 


shall we dash boldly upon the enemy, and 
either win a mighty victory or die bravely in 
the attempt?” 

To a man they decided upon a swift attack, 
so preparations were made, and the next morn- 
ing the gates were opened, and with such 
rapidity did they dash upon the heathen that 
they swept through them like a whirlwind. 
And foremost in the fight was the Cid, with 
his green pennant flying, his sword darting 
here and there like lightning, and at every 
stroke a man fell to rise no more. 

A wonderful victory was won. Of the 
Moorish leaders none remained, and great was 
the number of the slain, wounded and pris- 
oners. A vast amount of booty was taken, 
consisting of gold, silver, jewels, arms and 
horses. Of this Diaz sent to Don Alphonso a 
goodly share. 

Now Don Alphonso was very proud of his 
knightly vassal, who performed such valorous 
deeds, and gladly would he have pardoned 
him, only that he was ashamed. But he with- 
drew his ban from all who had accompanied 
the Cid, and returned to them their posses- 
sions, which had been forfeited. 


24 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

The Champion dealt generously with the 
two money-lenders who had provided him 
with the means to provide for his company, 
and glad indeed was he to get back his two 
sand-filled chests, for this necessary deception 
had weighed heavily upon him. For some 
time he remained at Alcocer, governing the 
city wisely, and when at last he started out in 
search of further adventures, the inhabitants 
were filled with sorrow at his departure. 

Since he had been crowned King of Spain, 
Don Alphonso had relied upon the sagacity of 
the Cid more than he even knew, and many 
times since he had been without the services 
of his wise counsellor had he bitterly regret- 
ted his absence. And now came a time when 
he needed help and advice such as he knew 
he could get only from Diaz de Bivar. So 
he swallowed his pride and sent a messenger 
to the Cid, begging him to return to Castile. 

The Campeador replied that the only terms 
upon which he would return were that no 
noble should be sentenced to exile without 
being first permitted to defend himself, and 
also that if the decision be against him, he 


THE CID AND KING ALPHONSO 25 

then be allowed thirty days’ grace in which to 
arrange his affairs. 

To these terms Don Alphonso agreed right 
joyfully, and when the Cid and his followers 
returned to Castile, they were heartily wel- 
comed by the people, who showed by their 
rejoicings how near to their hearts was the 
gallant Champion. 

3 


THE SIX BRAVE BURGHERS OF 
CALAIS 

IN the year 1346 King Edward III of Eng- 
land with his army laid siege to the town of 
Calais. He soon saw that the stronghold 
could not be taken by attack, and so he made 
plans to force its surrender by other means. 

Around the town he built a large number of 
wooden houses, and prepared to wait until 
lack of food should cause the defenders to 
yield. 

John de Vienne, a wise and prudent man, 
was the governor of Calais. It was not long 
before he saw that all but the warriors would 
have to leave, because provisions began to run 
low. So all those who could not fight were 
sent away. 

As the town was surrounded by the English 
army, these old men, women and children had 
to pass through their lines. They told the 

26 


THE SIX BRAVE BURGHERS 27 

soldiers why they had left the city, and when 
the news was brought to King Edward he, a 
kind man at heart, directed that they should 
all be well fed, and each given a sum of money 
to help them on their way. 

Almost a year passed, and the defenders suf- 
fered from hunger. The governor had about 
made up his mind to throw open the gates, 
sally forth upon the besiegers, and thus die 
fighting rather than starve. Several times had 
he sent word to King Phillip of their sorry 
plight, but no help came to them from him. 

But in the latter part of July, 1347, the 
French army came in view, and how the brave 
defenders rejoiced when they saw their ban- 
ners flying. They had no doubt now about 
their deliverance. 

Time passed, and still King Phillip could 
not bring them relief, as no way was found to 
pierce the English lines. 

One morning the brave inhabitants were 
horrified to see the French army retreating, 
and with them went their last hope. Their 
King had deserted them without striking a 
blow in their behalf. 


28 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


Despair overtook them. No food was left. 
Horses, dogs, cats, and even all the rats and 
mice that could be found had been eaten. 
They could do nothing but submit. 

So John de Vienne sent messengers to King 
Edward, telling them to make the best terms 
they could. But Edward was filled with 
anger that the siege had lasted so long, and 
because so many of his soldiers had been 
killed and much money spent. So he told the 
messengers that the surrender must be with- 
out conditions. 

The governor pleaded for better terms, but 
the King would not listen until his own 
knights begged for mercy also. Then he 
yielded, and sent word to de Vienne that he 
must send six of the chief burghers of the city 
to him bare-headed, bare-footed, with ropes 
around their necks, and bearing in their hands 
the keys of the town. With these six men he 
would do what he wished, but the rest of the 
defenders should be free. 

John de Vienne, upon receiving the mes- 
sage, went to the town square and summoned 
the people by having the bell of the city rung. 


THE SIX BRAVE BURGHERS 29 

When they were assembled, he told them the 
King’s terms. 

They despaired at the terms, for none 
thought that six men would freely give their 
lives, even to save the rest. But they were 
wrong. The first to offer himself was the 
wealthiest of them all, Eustace de St. Pierre, 
and it was not long before five others, all 
notable citizens, followed his lead. 

So these six brave men, bare-headed, bare- 
footed, with ropes around their necks, bearing 
in their hands the keys of the city, passed 
through the gates, and went fearlessly to their 
death. 

The thought of so many of his own men who 
had lost their lives during the course of the 
siege had hardened Edward’s heart, and when 
the six burghers were brought before him he 
ordered their instant execution. 

The King’s friend, Sir Walter de Manny, 
urged him to be merciful and spare the lives 
of these brave men. He reminded him how 
famed he was for his nobleness and love of 
justice, and begged him to do nothing that 
would tarnish his name. 


3 o THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

But his anger was too great, and he replied 
to Sir Walter harshly, ordering him to send 
for the headsman immediately. 

At this Philippa, his queen, fell at his feet, 
and with tears in her eyes begged him to have 
mercy, and for the love he had for her to grant 
the lives of these six men. 

Then the King relented. His love for his 
wife was so great that he could not refuse her 
prayer. So he gave them into her hands, to 
do with as she pleased. 

Joyously she thanked him. Directing the 
six burghers to be taken to her own house, she 
ordered that fresh clothes be given them, and 
saw that a meal such as they had not enjoyed 
for months was set before them. After this 
they returned in safety to their own people. 


THE DARING OF BLACK AGNES 

King Robert Bruce was dead and his little 
son David was crowned. The Earl of Moray 
was chosen to be Regent to rule the people 
until David should be old enough to take the 
reins of government himself. 

The Earl was hated by the people on 
account of his cruelty, but it must be said in 
his favor that he was a just man, although he 
was hard and severe. He ruled for three 
years, and then one morning he was found 
dead, thought to have been poisoned. 

The next Regent chosen proved to be a poor 
ruler, and soon many of the Scottish nobles 
rebelled, and put themselves under the leader- 
ship of Edward of Baliol, whose father, John 
Baliol, had been King before Robert Bruce. 

And now there was strife in the land, for 
Baliol claimed the throne, and in this he was 
31 


32 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

upheld by King Edward of England. So the 
country was divided into two factions, one for 
King David and the other for Edward Baliol. 
The two forces met in battle at Dupplin Moor, 
and there King David’s army was completely 
routed. 

After winning this victory Edward Baliol 
hastened to Scone, where he was crowned. 
And now Scotland had two Kings, but for the 
time being Baliol was triumphant, because 
after the battle David had fled to France. 

Very soon, however, many of the Scottish 
barons who were still true to their young 
King, came together and chose another Re- 
gent to rule in David’s name. They mustered 
an army, and fell upon Baliol’s men with such 
suddenness that they in turn were utterly de- 
feated, and many of their nobles slain. Baliol 
himself barely managed to escape, galloping 
away upon a horse that was not even saddled. 
So his victory at Dupplin Moor did not gain 
much for him, because in less than three 
months he was driven out of the country. 

He fled to England, to whose king he had 
become vassal on being crowned. King Ed- 


THE DARING OF BLACK AGNES 33 


ward raised a large army, marched against the 
Scots, and defeated them at the battle of Hali- 
don Hill. 

But though defeated, Scotland did not give 
up. One of the great nobles on the side of 
King David was the Earl of March, and while 
he was away fighting the English besieged his 
castle of Dunbar. 

His wife, the Countess of March, was a 
beautiful and resolute woman. She was called 
Black Agnes, on account of her black hair and 
dark eyes. Dunbar Castle was very impor- 
tant, and so the English were determined to 
take it. But Black Agnes was just as deter- 
mined that they should not. 

The besiegers used great engines which 
would throw immense stones against the walls 
of the castle with terrific force. But Dunbar 
Castle was built to withstand sieges, and little 
damage was done. Black Agnes was without 
fear, and at all times she was watching at the 
gate or on the ramparts, and when a stone 
would hit the walls she derisively ordered one 
of her maids to dust the spot with a white 
cloth, as though to show the besiegers that the 
dust they caused was not to her liking. 


34 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

No place was too dangerous for her. She 
was here and there, giving praise and encour- 
agement to the brave defenders, any of whom 
would have died for her. She lost no oppor- 
tunity to laugh and jeer at the English, and 
to make fun of their efforts. And they, ad- 
miring Black Agnes for her courage and de- 
votion, were too chivalrous at heart to use their 
best endeavors in attacking. 

After several months of this fighting the 
defenders became short of food, and this was 
the only thing Black Agnes really feared. 
Dunbar Castle was built by the sea, but Eng- 
lish ships were guarding this side so that 
assistance should not come by water. 

But one dark night a brave fisherman man- 
aged to evade these vessels, and he brought 
very welcome relief to Black Agnes by adding 
fifty men to her garrison, and food in plenty. 

Soon after this the English gave up the 
attack, and proud indeed were the Scots of 
their Black Agnes, and to this day is her cour- 
age extolled in poem and prose. 


SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI 


At the strange, picturesque little hill-town of 
Assisi, in sunny Italy, Saint Francis was born, 
in the year 1182. His father, Pietro Berna- 
done, was away in France on business at the 
time. His mother had named him Giovanni, 
but when Pietro returned home he called his 
little son Francesco (meaning “the French- 
man”) because he had been very successful in 
selling his merchandise at a good profit in 
France. So he was always called Francesco, 
the English for which is Francis. 

He grew up to be a boy full of fun and 
daring, and became the leader of his compan- 
ions in the games and sports of which they 
were fond. Although he was full of mischief, 
and always in some sort of innocent trouble, 
he was a great favorite with everyone because 
he had a kind heart and never did a cruel 


35 


36 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

thing, but was always glad to help anyone he 
could. 

His father was quite wealthy, and as he 
grew to manhood he mixed with the gayest 
young men of the town; and having all the 
money he wished to spend, he wore beautiful 
and costly clothes. 

One day he became very sick, and for a long 
time it was thought that he would die, but in 
time he recovered. During this period of ill- 
ness a great change came over him, for while 
lying on his bed he had thought much about 
the idle life he was leading, and it seemed to 
him that there must be real work for him to do. 
What that work would be, he looked for some 
sign to show him. 

When he was quite well again he somehow 
did not care to waste his time leading his old 
gay life with his former companions. Instead, 
he took long walks across the plains or over 
the hills, and on one of these occasions a poor 
old beggar besought him for help. 

The air was chilly, and in an instant he had 
wrapped his gay cloak about the shoulders of 
the shivering old man, whom he recognized 


SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI 37 

as one who in his time had served his country 
faithfully as a soldier. 

That night he had a dream in which he saw 
a great room filled with all kinds of weapons 
and flags, each of which had on it the sign of 
the Cross; and he heard a voice saying that 
these were reserved for the faithful soldiers 
who should fight manfully for the right under 
the banner of the Cross. 

When Francis awoke, he took this to be a 
sign that he should become a soldier, so he left 
home with the intention of joining the army. 
But the next night, in a dream, he heard the 
voice say that service in the army of his coun- 
try was not that which he should seek. 

Much puzzled, Francis returned to Assisi, 
and when inside the town he went into the 
ruined church of St. Damiano. While there 
he heard a voice say: “Francis, repair my 
church.” 

Now the walls of this church were crum- 
bling away, and naturally he thought that the 
voice meant that he should rebuild them. So, 
glad to find some real work to do, he hastened 
home, and taking some of his father’s rich 


38 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

merchandise to the market, sold it for a con- 
siderable sum of money. 

This he took to the church and offered to 
the priest, telling him to rebuild the walls 
with it. But when Francis told him how he 
came by the money, the good priest refused to 
accept it, saying that he had done wrong to 
sell his father’s goods without his permission. 

And when Pietro found out what his son 
had done, he really was very angry. He did 
not object to supplying Francis with money 
for gay clothes, or for any reasonable extrava- 
gance in which he might wish to indulge, but 
he would give nothing for the repairing of an 
old church. So, in a rage, he locked Francis 
in a dark room, where he could meditate upon 
his offense, and the next day he drove him 
from the house with blows. 

Having no place to go to, Francis went to 
the old priest, and in the ruined church he 
found shelter. In the meantime his father had 
gone to the bishop, and demanded that Fran- 
cis be punished and made to return the money 
he had received from the sale of the merchan- 
dise. 


SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI 39 

When the bishop spoke to Francis about it 
he promised to return the money, and in the 
market-place he took off his expensive clothes 
and standing there, clad only in a hair shirt, 
he gave to his father both clothes and money, 
and said, before the people: “Until now I 
have called Pietro Bernadone father, but after 
this time my only father will be ‘my Father 
which is in Heaven.’ ” 

The people were sorry for him, thinking 
that he had been badly treated, and a kindly 
laboring man gave him a rough cloak, for he 
was shivering with the cold. 

After this Francis wandered all over the 
country, always seeking to do good. He 
nursed the poor lepers, and begged his bread. 
Often he was without food, but whatever he 
might have, others were always welcome to 
a share. 

In the course of time, he returned to Assisi, 
and there he labored at repairing the ruined 
church with his own hands, and he found con- 
tent and happiness in doing good work. And 
the more he thought of the uselessness of his 
former gay life, the greater became his desire 


4 o THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

to work for the good of others, and being poor 
actually became a real source of joy to him. 
His Master had possessed no riches here, so 
why should he, and he was a great deal hap- 
pier without them. No shoes nor stockings 
did he wear, and even the coarse cloak he 
wore had been given him in charity. 

When his work on the church walls was 
finished, he again started wandering over the 
earth, and such was his enthusiasm that many 
others became as eager as he was to do good, 
and so was gathered together the band of men 
who became known as the “Little Poor Broth- 
ers.” And in spite of their poverty they were 
always happy and cheerful. They made their 
home in a little church near Assisi, called 
Saint Mary of the Angels, which had been 
given them. But not often were many of them 
there, for their mission was to go out into the 
world to preach and help. 

The spirit of love, so developed in Francis, 
kept him always gay and happy. He often 
went on long journeys by himself, and though 
he might be tired and hungry, he was never 
lonely, for this love attracted even birds and 


SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI 41 

animals. When he was walking the birds 
would fly down from among the trees and 
perch on his shoulder, not the least bit afraid 
of him. Sometimes he would stand still, and 
then they would gather round him. Then he 
would talk to them, and they would listen 
while he spoke. 

There is a story told about Francis which 
shows that wild animals were just as fond of 
him as the birds were, and behaved toward 
him just as a pet dog would. 

One day he reached a town where all the 
people were terrified by a very fierce wolf, 
who had become so bold in his depredations 
that the inhabitants were almost afraid to go 
out into the streets. The ferocious animal had 
even carried off to his lair some unfortunate 
children, and though the men hunted him he 
always escaped. 

When this was told to Francis he at once 
said he would seek the wolf and show him 
how wrong he was. The people feared for 
him and did their best to turn him from his 
purpose. But he set out on his search, and 
presently the great wolf spied him and with 
4 


42 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

wide-open mouth sprang toward him, intend- 
ing to tear him to pieces. Francis, unafraid, 
went forward to meet him, and said : “Brother 
Wolf, why have you harmed these people? I 
command you to do no more mischief.” 

It seems a marvelous thing, but as soon as 
the good man spoke the wolf stopped, and then 
went to Francis and fawned upon him like a 
dog. He rubbed his head against the Saint’s 
habit and put his paw in his hand. 

Francis then returned to the town, and the 
wolf trotted beside him. And after this the 
wolf, which had been so terribly fierce, be- 
came so tame that the children would play 
with him, and their parents were not the least 
bit afraid that they would be harmed. 

This story may be true or may be only a 
legend, but it is certain that all living crea- 
tures knew that Francis loved them. 

In the course of time many men were at- 
tracted by this devoted band of brothers, who 
taught that real happiness could not be had 
through riches, but only by being and doing 
good, and they became quite a large company. 
Francis sent them to many countries to teach 


SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI 43 

others the beauty of love and self-denial, but 
their home was always the little church near 
Assisi, Saint Mary of the Angels, to which the 
brothers returned after their journeyings. 

Francis himself visited the land of the Sara- 
cens, where the Crusaders were fighting. 
Many people begged him not to go, as they 
were sure he would be put to death. But he 
had no fear, for his thought was to extend his 
teachings to the pagans. He was kindly re- 
ceived by the Sultan, who listened to what he 
had to say, but would not be convinced with- 
out a sign. Francis then asked that a great 
fire be made, and that he and the heathen 
priests should walk through it, and whoever 
came through unscathed should be the one 
whose teaching was to be followed. 

But although the Sultan was willing, the 
pagan priests refused to agree to this, so Fran- 
cis returned to Italy, having only the hope that 
he had sown seed which would bear fruit. 

During this pilgrimage to the Holy Land, 
Francis endured many privations which af- 
fected his health. But still he continued his 
labors, not sparing himself in any way, and in 


44 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

time it was seen that his strength was failing. 

High up in the Apennine Mountains was a 
spot which Francis loved, and here he had 
built a hut. To this place he went in the 
spring of the year, not long after his return. 
For some time he wandered about the woods, 
listening to the singing of his friends the birds, 
but he grew weaker and weaker, and at last 
some of the Little Poor Brothers came and 
carried him back to the church of Saint Mary 
of the Angels. He was to be with them but 
a short time now. His last words to his broth- 
ers bade them continue living as he had taught 
them to live, in love and charity with all; rich 
in good deeds, though in poverty and lowli- 
ness. On the evening of October 4, 1226, while 
the birds he loved were singing to him, his 
soul passed away, but his spirit still lives. 


SAINT CUTHBERT 


Who the parents of St. Cuthbert were is not 
known, but it is reasonably sure that he was 
born about the year 635 A.D. in either Eng- 
land or Ireland. Some have said that his 
mother was an Irish princess, upon whom 
calamity had fallen, and who was sold as a 
slave, but history does not tell us his birth- 
place, nor if he were born in a palace or a 
hovel. 

It is recorded, however, that when he was 
eight years of age he was a poor orphan boy, 
living with a kindly old woman in a cottage 
on the hills of Lammermuir, in Scotland. The 
two loved one another very much, and till the 
day of her death St. Cuthbert never failed to 
do anything he could to help his old nurse. 

As soon as he was old enough, Cuthbert be- 
came a shepherd boy, and tended his sheep on 
45 


46 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

the bleak and rather barren slope of Soutra 
Hill. He was fond of being out of doors and 
was always up very early in the morning, 
roaming over the hills, making friends with 
the birds and beasts, and it was generally dark 
when he returned to his home. 

In the winter they were often snow-bound, 
and then he and his old nurse would sit by 
the fire, and she would tell him stories of the 
savage people who dwelt in the mountains to 
the north and to the south. She would also 
tell him about the kindly monks who lived in 
the monasteries, and while he loved to listen 
to tales of daring and danger, it was about the 
goodly deeds of the holy men that he used to 
dream. 

Cuthbert grew up to be a strong, healthy 
boy, full of fun and fond of all sorts of games, 
especially those which required skill and 
courage, and he was well liked by his com- 
rades. At times he would leave his playmates, 
throw himself down on the hillside, and dream 
of the future. Sometimes he wondered if he 
would be a soldier, and then his thoughts 
would wander to the monks who dwelt in the 
monastery of Melrose. 


SAINT CUTHBERT 


47 


One day, when the boys were playing to- 
gether, a little child of three, whom none of 
them knew, ran up to them. They stopped 
their game, and the child, looking at Cuth- 
bert, said : “Oh, Cuthbert, why do you waste 
your time in idle games?” 

The boys commenced playing again, and 
the child, seeing that no attention was paid to 
his words, threw himself upon the ground and 
sobbed. 

Now, although the boys were rather rough, 
as most boys are, they felt sorry for the little 
stranger who cried so, and tried to comfort 
him, but the tears continued until Cuthbert 
stood over him, and then he said : “Oh, Cuth- 
bert, it does not become you, whom the Lord 
hath consecrated, to behave so foolishly and 
sport with others in this way.” 

Cuthbert tried to discover from the child 
who he was, and who had sent him, but the 
tiny visitor suddenly arose and ran swiftly 
away, and none of them ever found out who 
he was or where he came from. The strange 
words of the little messenger made a great im- 
pression upon Cuthbert, who left his play- 


48 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

mates and went back to his sheep. There he 
knelt down to pray, and he made up his mind 
that some day he would serve God as did the 
holy Abbot and the monks of Melrose. 

One summer night, when out on the hill, he 
saw a light which grew brighter and brighter 
until it seemed to reach the skies, and down 
this pathway came white-robed angels on their 
way to earth. In a little while he saw them 
going upward, bearing in their arms a shining 
soul. He went toward the light, but it faded 
away. 

When morning came Cuthbert heard that 
the Bishop of Lindisfarne had died during the 
night, and then he knew that it was for his 
soul the angels had come to earth. 

This marvelous event caused the boy to go 
to Eata, the Abbot of the monastery at Mel- 
rose, and ask that he train him to be a monk. 

The people at that time in the Border coun- 
tries were very wild and always fighting, so 
Eata, in order to prove Cuthbert’s mettle, sent 
him to serve as a soldier until the days should 
be more peaceful, and telling him that as a 
soldier he might serve God, and that after- 


SAINT CUTHBERT 


49 

wards he could return and dwell in the mon- 
astery. 

So over the rough mountain passes Cuth- 
bert went, fighting for those who needed help, 
and doing good where he could. He learned 
to endure hardships and to be a faithful 
soldier. 

One day, on the banks of the River Tyne, 
Cuthbert watched a raft loaded with logs, 
which some monks were steering to a mon- 
astery that was on the opposite side of the 
river. A violent storm suddenly arose and 
drove the raft down the river toward the sea. 

Looking through the monastery windows, 
the monks saw the danger which threatened 
their comrades, and hastened to launch their 
boat in order that they might go to the rescue, 
but the current was too strong and the storm 
so fierce that all the efforts they made were 
in vain. 

Very soon a crowd had gathered, and as 
they watched the raft they jeered at the monks 
who were trying so hard to save the lives of 
their brothers. 

Cuthbert asked them why they scoffed at 


50 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

the men in danger, and said it would be better 
to pray for their deliverance rather than mock 
at their peril. 

But the people laughed at him, and said: 
“We care not whether they be saved or not, 
for they have taken away our gods from us.” 

Then Cuthbert fell on his knees and 
prayed that those in danger might not perish, 
and as he prayed the wind changed and blew 
the raft to the shore, and soon they were in 
safety on the other side. 

Those who had scoffed and jeered were 
silent and ashamed now, and Cuthbert told 
them to praise and serve Him who had thus 
answered his prayer. 

One blustery winter’s day Cuthbert was rid- 
ing over the frozen moor, when he was over- 
taken by a violent snow-storm, and soon he had 
to dismount and lead his horse, who was very 
weary. The snow drifted, and he feared they 
were lost. The storm seemed to gain in fury 
and he knew that if some shelter were not soon 
found they would both perish. His strength 
was almost gone when he saw before him an 
old, ramshackle hut, and he was just able to 


SAINT CUTHBERT 


5i 

push open the door and cross the threshold 
when he and his horse sank to the ground. 

When his senses returned, Cuthbert’s first 
thought was for his horse, and after a search 
he found a handful of dry grass on the floor 
of the hut, and with this he fed him. He 
himself was hungry, having fasted for nearly 
two days, but he knelt down and gave thanks 
for the shelter from the storm, and whilst on 
his knees, the horse nibbled at the thatched 
roof and pulled out of the straw a bundle 
wrapped in cloth. 

Rising from his knees, Cuthbert saw the 
bundle, and on opening it found that it con- 
tained the food he so much needed. After 
sharing this with his horse, he again gave 
thanks and lay down to sleep. 

During the following spring and summer 
Cuthbert met with many adventures, and in 
the fall he returned to Melrose, hoping that 
Eata would now receive him into the mon- 
astery. 

The Abbot welcomed him as one who had 
been tried and not found wanting, and was 
glad to accept him as one of his monks. 


52 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

In the monastery there was plenty of work 
for all to do, and among them none was more 
diligent than Cuthbert. Occasionally he was 
sent to the wild hill-men to preach the gos- 
pel, and so kind and sympathetic was he that 
they began to look forward to his visits and 
asked him to live with them. The Abbot, 
however, was impressed with his zeal, and 
sent him on longer journeys to the seacoast 
where the wild Piets dwelt, and with them he 
was very successful in his labors. 

After some years of this loving service, 
Eata, who loved Cuthbert as a son, took him 
to the monastery of Ripon, in England, and 
there installed him as guest-master. 

Once, during a very cold winter, a pilgrim 
came to the monastery, and, as was his cus- 
tom, Cuthbert welcomed the traveler kindly, 
and after bathing his feet, placed food before 
him. Then he went to the kitchen for some 
newly baked bread, and when he returned 
with the loaves the stranger had disappeared. 
He hastened to the door, but although there 
was plenty of snow, no footmarks could be 
seen. This was very strange, and when Cuth- 


SAINT CUTHBERT 


S3 


bert returned to the room where he had so 
lately left his guest, he noticed that it was filled 
with a most delightful fragrance, and on the 
table lay three loaves, surpassing even lilies 
and roses in whiteness and perfume. 

He was struck with awe, and said to him- 
self: “It was an angel whom I received, and 
who has come to feed others, for he has 
brought such wonderful loaves as could not 
be made on this earth.” 

Some time after this the wild Northumber- 
land coast was visited by a terrible plague, 
and the people in the villages round about 
were calling upon Eata and Cuthbert for 
help, so they returned to Melrose. They went 
among the sorely stricken folk, healing and 
cheering them, and presently Cuthbert, who 
would allow himself no rest and who was 
worn out with his labors, was taken by the 
dreaded pestilence. 

He was taken to his cell in the monastery, 
and for many nights his brother monks prayed 
for the life of their beloved comrade, so sad- 
dened were they by his danger that they could 
not sleep, 


54 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

When Cuthbert was well enough to know 
of their devotion to him, he asked for his san- 
dals and staff, and astonished them by rising 
from his bed. He told them that God would 
not refuse their entreaties. 

His strength returned to him, but the Prior 
of Melrose, who had also been stricken by the 
plague, grew worse and died, and Cuthbert 
was made Prior in his place. 

This newly acquired dignity brought ad- 
ditional responsibilities to Cuthbert, but he 
still found time to visit the lawless hill folk, 
and in time he showed them the wrongfulness 
of their cruel deeds, and did penance for their 
wickedness himself. They began to see how 
grieved the holy man was for their misdeeds, 
and became ashamed to sin and cause him such 
sorrow. You see, he was winning them to do 
right through love. 

On one of his journeys Cuthbert lodged at 
a lonely monastery in Berwickshire, and when 
the monks had retired to their cells he went 
to the seashore, waded out into the cold water 
as far as he could, and there remained until 
daybreak, praising God for Plis goodness. 


SAINT CUTHBERT 


55 


When he returned to the shore he was almost 
frozen, and sank benumbed to the ground. 
Then some otters crept out from the rocks, 
came up to the holy man, licked his chilled 
feet, and warmed him with their bodies, so 
that he was soon able to get up and walk 
about, and he returned to the monastery. 

Now, unknown to Cuthbert, one of the 
monks had followed him, and had seen what 
had happened to him, and the next day he 
confessed what he had done, and begged for- 
giveness. This Cuthbert gave him, on con- 
dition that he should not relate to anyone what 
had occurred. Then he sent him away in 
peace, with his blessing. 

Since leaving his old home on the Lammer- 
muir hills he had never forgotten his old 
nurse, and as often as he could found time to 
visit her, and on these occasions she always 
called together her neighbors to listen to the 
glad stories he had to tell. 

During one of these visits the alarm of fire 
was raised; the wind was blowing strongly 
toward his old nurse’s cottage, and it seemed 
certain that her home would soon be in flames. 


56 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

He told her to fear not, and he fell upon the 
ground and prayed, and whilst he was praying 
the wind sank and the flames were quenched. 

Eata was now Abbot of Lindisfarne, a very 
lonely island off the coast of Northumberland, 
and he sent for Cuthbert, whom he wished to 
make Prior of his monastery. Now at low 
tide one could walk from Lindisfarne to the 
mainland, so that it was not an island all of 
the time. Here Cuthbert came, in answer to 
Eata’s call, and found a very unruly lot of 
monks. He made strict rules, and saw that 
they were obeyed, and at first he met with 
such resistance that it needed all his courage 
to stay the strife which his changes caused. 
But in time his patience and gentleness won, 
and the monks grew to love and reverence 
their new Prior. 

His fame continued to spread, and all 
people of high and low degree came to him 
for counsel and comfort. 

When Cuthbert was forty years of age he 
decided to live as a hermit on the desolate 
island of Fame. Here he built a hut, which 
he divided into two rooms, one in which to 


SAINT CUTHBERT 


57 


sleep and the other for prayer. There was no 
water on the island, so he dug deep until he 
reached a spring, and he planted some corn 
and barley, which yielded just a large enough 
crop to keep him alive. Near the beach he 
built a house for such monks and pilgrims as 
might visit the island, and here, miraculously, 
water was found. 

Cuthbert was now considered a saint, and 
so kind and gentle was he at all times that 
even the wild sea-birds became his friends and 
gathered around him as he knelt to pray on 
the rocks. And even now the sea-gulls on this 
lonely island are called, “The birds of St. 
Cuthbert.” 

Although he had gone to Fame in order 
that he might be alone with God, his fame 
had gone so over England and Scotland that 
many people who were sick or in trouble went 
to him for cure or advice, and none went away 
without benefit. 

After living on this island for eight years, 
he was visited by the King of England, who 
was accompanied by many nobles and monks. 
They wished to make him Bishop of Lindis- 

5 


58 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


fame, and although he shrank from the honor, 
he finally acceeded to their request, and on 
the next Easter morning was consecrated in 
the city of York. 

Although he was now a Bishop, Cuthbert’s 
habits were as simple as before, and he spent 
his time in labor and prayer as he always had 
done. 

After two years as Bishop of Lindisfarne, 
his strength began to fail and he knew that his 
work on earth was almost finished. So on 
Christmas day, 686 A.D., at the age of fifty 
years, he retired to the island of Fame. There 
the monks of Lindisfarne often visited him, 
and each time returned the more sorrowful, 
as they saw how much weaker he had become. 
They saw that he would soon be with the an- 
gels, and when he became too ill to leave his 
cot, two of the monks were given the privilege 
of serving him until the end. 

At last, knowing that he had but a few min- 
utes left, he said to the monks: “Have peace 
and divine charity ever amongst you.” He 
then asked them to sing the midnight psalm, 
and ere it was ended his soul was carried 
to Paradise. 


DAVID AND JONATHAN 


A COMELY young man, a simple shepherd, 
stood in the midst of a great crowd which had 
gathered to see their King, Saul, pass by. In 
the chariot by the King’s side was a handsome 
youth, strong both in face and form. This 
was Jonathan, the King’s son and heir. 

Jonathan was much beloved by the people; 
he was the greatest archer of his time and one 
of the best athletes in the country. At run- 
ning and mountain climbing he had no equal, 
and besides these very desirable powers, he 
possessed a noble soul. 

The shepherd was David, the youngest son 
of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, a man of consider- 
able estate, whose business was the raising of 
sheep and cattle, and to David was given the 
care of his father’s flock. He was one who 
would rather lead a simple life out of doors 

59 


to THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


among the mountains and streams, with his 
sheep and his harp for company, than be in 
the city where the jostling of people and the 
reveling oppressed him. 

Now, in passing, the eyes of the prince and 
the shepherd met, and between them flashed a 
spirit of understanding, and from that hour 
there was love between them such as seldom 
has existed between men, a love which stood 
the test of time and as strong as life itself. 

Still watching the disappearing chariot, 
David was interrupted by a servant who had 
been sent in search of him to tell him that he 
was wanted immediately at the house of his 
father, where the prophet, Samuel, awaited 
him. On reaching home, he found his father, 
brothers, and many neighbors gathered to- 
gether, and a little apart was Samuel, who 
said, “Come hither, my son.” 

Then Samuel took a horn of oil and poured 
it over David’s head, saying, “This is he 
whom the Lord hath chosen.” 

David’s father was filled with surprise, and 
his brothers with envy, for the anointing with 
oil by the High Priest Samuel meant that 


DAVID AND JONATHAN 61 

David was destined to be the future King of 
Israel, and all were amazed that this young 
shepherd should be chosen for this exalted 
position. 

David himself was too greatly moved for 
speech, and without a word he left the house 
and went directly to his favorite place in the 
mountain, where he spent the night alone with 
his harp, upon which he played with rapture. 

A new spirit came upon him. It was not 
that he was exalted by the promise of the 
crown and the power that went with it, but 
that he, a humble shepherd, should be chosen 
for this great destiny filled him with awe, and 
during the hours of darkness he prayed for 
strength to guide him aright. 

Now, although David was anointed as the 
future King of Israel, and his father and 
brothers knew that this would be so in time, 
yet he lived his life just as he had done before. 
He tended his flock and was still known to 
the world as a shepherd boy. 

He was never lonely as he watched his 
sheep, for he possessed wonderful gifts of 
music and poetry, and would often put his 


62 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


thoughts into song; but best of all, he loved 
to play upon the harp, his skill with which 
had already won for him fame and friends. 

About this time the kingdom of Israel was 
attacked by the Philistines, and with the army 
of the latter was a powerful giant, named 
Goliath of Gath. This giant was so proud of 
his mighty strength that he challenged any one 
of Saul’s army to come forth and fight him in 
single combat, saying that the battle should be 
decided in this way. But none could be found 
brave enough to encounter him, and the whole 
army was filled with dismay. 

Now David’s elder brothers were with the 
Israelite forces, and Jesse, anxious to know 
how his sons fared, sent David to the camp to 
gain tidings of them. Thus it happened that 
he saw the giant Goliath and heard his scorn- 
ful challenge, and was surprised to learn that 
even though the King had promised great re- 
wards to whoever should kill the giant, none 
had dared to meet him. 

And David, being quite fearless, said, 
“Who is this Philistine, that he should defy 
the armies of the living God?” He requested 


DAVID AND JONATHAN 63 

to be taken to the tent of the King and said to 
him that he would go forth and fight with this 
Philistine. 

Saul thought it foolish that a mere youth 
should attempt such a deed, but David said, 
“While guarding my flock I killed a lion, and 
at another time a bear, and do not fear that I 
shall fail to kill this giant.” 

Then the King put his own armor upon 
David and gave him his sword, but the young 
man found these too heavy, so put them aside, 
and taking his sling, chose five smooth pebbles 
and boldly went forth to meet the enemy. 

When the big Philistine beheld the youth 
who had come out to fight him, he laughed at 
him scornfully, and said, “Come here and I 
will give your flesh to the fowls of the air and 
the beasts of the field!” 

David answered, “I come to you in the name 
of the Lord of hosts, and this day will He 
deliver you into my hand, and I will kill you 
and take off your head that all may know there 
is a God in Israel.” 

Then the giant rushed toward David, who, 
placing a stone in his sling, aimed it with all 


64 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

his force at the head of Goliath. It was a true 
shot, and the giant fell to the ground. Then 
David seized his enemy’s sword and cut off his 
head. And when the Philistines saw that 
their mighty champion was dead, they were 
panic-stricken and fled, and the Israelites pur- 
sued them and won a great victory. 

Saul and the people were loud in their 
praise and thanks to David, and when Jona- 
than, the King’s son, who was with the army, 
stood before him, their love went out to one 
another, and they solemnly vowed eternal 
friendship. 

After this, Saul would not allow David to 
return to his sheep, but made him dwell in his 
palace, gave him command of his army and 
bestowed upon him his daughter Michal in 
marriage. He won the confidence of the sol- 
diers and gained many victories over the Phil- 
istines. 

Thus David became powerful in the land 
and was the idol of the people, and the women 
on his return from battle sang: 

“Saul hath slain his thousands; 

And David his ten thousands !” 


DAVID AND JONATHAN 65 

Saul, hearing of this singing, became very 
jealous, and feared lest the people should 
make David king in his place, thereby keeping 
the throne from his son, Jonathan. He began 
to brood over this and became subject to fits of 
despondency. David did his best to comfort 
him by his playing and singing, but he would 
not be soothed by music. His anger against 
David, knowing how the people loved him, 
became so great that one day in a great rage 
he threw his javelin at him. 

David avoided the weapon and escaped. 
This made Saul the more jealous, and again 
he tried to kill him, but he fled to his own 
home, and there Saul sent messengers to kill 
him. Still he was saved from harm, for 
Michal his wife lowered him from the win- 
dow, and he got safely away. 

Jonathan was deeply grieved when he dis- 
covered his father’s hatred for David, and told 
him how greatly he had loved and served him, 
and had defeated his enemies in battle. He 
knew that David was so loved by the people 
that they would certainly choose him for their 
next ruler, to his own exclusion, but the bond 


66 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


of friendship between the two was too strong 
for anything to break and he had no thought 
of envy. 

But Jonathan’s pleadings were of no avail 
against his father’s jealousy, and David was 
obliged to seek refuge among the hills, where 
his friends came to join him; and soon he 
found himself in command of several hundred 
men. 

Jonathan, who knew where David was hid- 
ing, had arranged to let him know in a certain 
number of days if his father’s wrath were ap- 
peased, or whether he still desired his death. 
He was to shoot three arrows, sending a lad to 
fetch them. If he said to the lad, “The ar- 
rows are on this side of thee; take them,” then 
David would know that Saul intended him no 
harm. But if he said, “The arrows are be- 
yond thee,” then David would know that he 
was still in danger and must flee. As he had 
promised, Jonathan shot the arrows and said 
to the lad, “Is not the arrow beyond thee?” 
He also added, “Make haste and stay not.” 
And when the lad had gone, David came out 
from his hiding place and he and Jonathan 


DAVID AND JONATHAN 67 

said farewell to each other, and Jonathan re- 
turned to the palace. 

Saul sent many large forces against David, 
but was unable to capture his rival, and for a 
long time David lived the life of an outlaw, 
his time being divided between fighting the 
Philistines and flying for safety from the pur- 
suit of Saul. 

More than once David could easily have 
taken Saul’s life. On one occasion David and 
his men were hiding in a cave, when Saul and 
his army passed that way. Saul was weary 
and went into the cave to rest. He fell asleep, 
and David went to where he lay, cut off a 
piece of the King’s robe, and then went into 
the depths of the cave. 

When Saul awoke he went out. David fol- 
lowed him and, calling to him, showed the 
piece of cloth which he had cut from his robe, 
saying that he had no desire to take his life 
and was still his friend, although treated so 
unjustly. 

Saul recognized David’s generosity, and for 
the time being was ashamed of himself. They 
parted in a friendly manner, but Saul could 


68 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


not overcome his jealousy, and soon again 
sought to kill David. 

At another time, while Saul lay sleeping at 
night, David came secretly and took the spear 
which lay by the King’s pillow, leaving him 
unharmed. And again did Saul repent and 
promised to do David no harm. 

Soon after this the Philistines, who had 
gathered together a great army, again attacked 
the Israelites and defeated them with great 
slaughter, and Jonathan was among the slain. 
Saul besought his armor-bearer to kill him, 
but he refused, whereupon he took his sword 
and fell upon it, and so died. 

A few days after the battle the news of the 
death of Saul and Jonathan was brought to 
David, who rent his clothes and mourned, say- 
ing: 

“How are the mighty fallen in the midst 
of the battle! Ye daughters of Israel, weep 
over Saul. 

“O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high 
places. I am distressed for thee, my brother 
Jonathan. Very pleasant hast thou been unto 
me; thy love to me was wonderful, passing the 
love of women.” 


DAVID AND JONATHAN 69 

After this defeat the tribe of Judah anointed 
David as their King, and under his rule the 
country was freed from enemies and also con- 
quered other lands, making Israel to be spoken 
of everywhere with honor and respect. 


DANIEL IN THE LIONS’ DEN 


It is often the fate of those occupying high 
positions to be the object of envy and hatred 
on the part of others, and so it was with 
Daniel. After the conquest of Chaldea by the 
Persians, Darius, their King, recognizing the 
ability and uprightness of Daniel, made him 
his chief adviser. 

Now Daniel was without fear, and on many 
occasions had warned the previous kings, 
Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, as well as 
their courtiers, that their evil ways would 
bring them great punishment; but they re- 
fused to heed his good advice, and the result 
was the defeat and ruin of their country. 

Darius was a wise ruler, and immediately 
he set about restoring order among his new 
subjects. He appointed over one hundred 
provincial governors, and these were under 
70 


DANIEL IN THE LIONS’ DEN 71 

three presidents, of whom Daniel was the 
chief, so that, next to the King, he held the 
highest office in the land. 

These governors and presidents, nearly all 
of whom were Medes or Persians, were very 
jealous of Daniel on account of the honor 
Darius had done him, and they sought to 
injure him in every possible way. They 
watched him day and night in order that 
they might find some charge to bring against 
him, but in all his dealings he was so honest 
and upright that all their efforts were without 
avail, and nothing could be found to harm him 
in the sight of Darius. 

At last they found a plan by means of which 
he could be trapped on account of his relig- 
ion. They assembled together before the King 
and said to him: 

“King Darius, live forever. The presidents 
and governors of the kingdom desire to estab- 
lish a royal statute, and make a decree that 
whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or 
man within a space of thirty days save of thee, 
O King, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 
Now, therefore, establish the decree, and sign 


72 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

the writing that it be changed not, according 
to the law of the Medes and Persians, which 
altereth not.” 

Having no suspicion of the plot against 
Daniel, the King signed the decree, and it went 
forth to all the people. 

Of course, Daniel at once saw what his 
enemies intended, but every day he offered up 
his prayers to God as he had always done, 
without fear of what the consequence might 
be to him; and very soon the spies who were 
watching him brought their reports to the 
other presidents and governors. 

Then they went to the King, and said to him : 

“Have you not signed a decree that any one 
asking a petition of any god or man within 
thirty days save of you, O King, shall be cast 
into the den of lions?” 

“I have,” said the King, “and according to 
the law of the Medes and Persians, this cannot 
be changed.” 

Then they said to him: 

“O King, Daniel has many times disre- 
garded this decree. Three times every day 
does he make prayers unto his God.” 


DANIEL IN THE LIONS’ DEN 73 

Darius was greatly troubled. He had 
learned to love Daniel, and knew how neces- 
sary he was to him, and to the country he had 
conquered. He tried hard to find a way out 
of the difficulty, but although, too late, he saw 
why the counsellors had asked that the decree 
be signed, nothing he could do would save the 
chief president. He therefore ordered Daniel 
to be brought before him and commanded that 
he be cast into the den of lions; but he said, 
“Your God, whom you serve so faithfully, will 
deliver you.” 

Then the sentence was carried out; a stone 
was rolled to the mouth of the den, and it was 
sealed with the King’s signet. 

Darius in great sorrow returned to his pal- 
ace, but there was no rest for him that night. 
Early in the morning he went to the mouth 
of the den, and in a voice which trembled with 
doubt and fear, he cried : 

“O Daniel, is your God, to whom you are 
so faithful, able to deliver you from the 
lions?” 

Then was he overjoyed, for Daniel replied: 

“O King, live forever. My God has sent 
6 


74 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they 
have not hurt me.” 

The King at once had the seal broken and 
the stone removed, and Daniel came out of the 
den unharmed. 

Then Darius ordered that all those who had 
accused Daniel be cast to the lions, and he 
issued a decree that in every part of his domin- 
ions all men should bow down and worship 
the God of Daniel. 


MAGNA CARTA 


Of all the Kings of England, John was the 
most generally hated. He was cruel and 
treacherous, and never could he be trusted to 
keep his word. And yet, strange though it 
may appear, the very baseness of this vicious 
monarch was the means of giving to every 
freeman of England absolutely security, both 
in person and property, from any damaging 
process other than through the law of the 
land. 

Before he was King he plotted against his 
brother, Richard the Lion Hearted, who for- 
gave him and treated him with the greatest 
generosity. When Richard received his death 
wound before the castle of Chaluz, John re- 
joiced, for he then had his heart’s desire, and 
was crowned King of England on Ascension 
Day, 1199. 


75 


76 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

He at once began to destroy the great sys- 
tem of government which his father, King 
Henry II, had founded, and he placed him- 
self above all laws, making his people obey 
only his own cruel and despotic will. 

Although it has never been proved, it has 
always been accepted as a truth that with his 
own hand he killed his young nephew, Arthur 
of Brittany, who might have been a claimant 
for the crown. But the untimely end of the 
young duke was the beginning of trouble for 
King John, for through this he lost the rich 
provinces of Normandy, Anjou, Poitou, and 
Guienne, which were taken by King Philip of 
France. 

Many of the English barons had possessions 
in Normandy, and it was now necessary for 
them to decide whether they should owe alle- 
giance to England or France. With very few 
exceptions they remained in England. 

And now John, having no foreign domin- 
ions to govern, had to stay at home. But the 
loss of this territory and the humiliation he 
suffered through it made him the more harsh, 
if possible, toward his English subjects, and 


MAGNA CARTA 


77 

his innumerable tyrannies made his own 
people his enemies. 

However, there was still some civil admin- 
istration, at the head of which was a faithful 
justiciar, named Fitz-Peter. But in the year 
1213 this able man died, and now the last 
check upon John’s tyranny was removed. 
With much energy he planned to recover his 
lost provinces, and to this end he formed an 
alliance with the Emperor Otto IV of Ger- 
many. 

But he received little support from his own 
country, for most of the barons refused to 
serve abroad, so that most of the fighting 
which followed was between the Germans and 
their Flemish allies and the French. A great 
battle was fought in the month of July, 1214, 
at Bouvines, in which the French utterly de- 
feated their enemies, and thus John’s scheme 
for the re-conquest of his lost dominions 
failed. 

And now began the series of events which 
led to the Great Charter. Archbishop Lang- 
ton held up the charter of Henry I as a basis 
upon which to form a more liberal one. A 


78 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

meeting of all the nobles took place at Bury 
St. Edmunds, at which they declared them- 
selves against the King. The barons also re- 
ceived the help of the clergy and the people 
of London, so that in England John had few 
but his foreign hirelings with him. 

This great meeting was a very solemn 
affair. It was held in the church of Bury 
St. Edmunds, and each baron, in the order of 
his rank, marched up to the altar and swore 
that if John refused to accept their charter he 
would join in rebellion against him. 

The war in France, which had ended in the 
defeat of the allies, had cost England a great 
deal of money, because many foreign soldiers, 
or mercenaries, were hired to fight. This not 
only increased John’s unpopularity, but the 
barons saw that his failure and want of funds 
had driven him into a corner, so that he would 
have to come to terms with them. 

When he returned to England, in the month 
of January, 1215, they laid the matter before 
the King, but he would not listen to them. 
They waited until Easter, and then gathered 
together a great armed force and sent a mes- 


MAGNA CARTA 


79 


sage to John, asking him if he would grant 
their demands. He again refused to pay any 
attention to them, other than to say that there 
was no reason in their request, and that they 
might just as well ask for his kingdom. 

The barons had now reached the limit of 
their patience, so their army, under the leader- 
ship of Lord Robert Fitz-Walter, besieged the 
King’s castle of Nottingham. They failed to 
take the castle, however, and after a time 
raised the siege and marched to London, 
where they were welcomed. 

And not only the Londoners, but most of 
the influential people of the country were with 
them. By threats the rest of John’s adherents 
were won over, and this meant bitter humilia- 
tion for the King, for now he had to bow to 
the will of the people. 

A meeting between the King and the barons 
was arranged to take place on June 15, 1215, 
at Runnymede, a meadow between Stains and 
Windsor. There the great Magna Carta was 
handed to John, and to this his seal was 
affixed. The Keeper of the Great Seal was 
Lord Hugh Neville, and he was the first of 


8o THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


the barons to sign. Each of the others fol- 
lowed him in turn. 

In addition to this, so little was the King 
trusted, a pledge was required that the pro- 
visions of the charter should be kept, and 
twenty-five barons were nominated to see that 
he fulfilled his part of the covenant. 

So the great event was over. During the 
historic scene, John had managed to control 
himself. Now he mounted his horse and, ac- 
companied by a few knights, rode to Windsor, 
where he went at once to his apartments. 
There he raged like a madman, and none 
dared speak to him. He cried aloud in his 
wrath that he had twenty-five over-lords, and 
he tore to pieces the hangings of the room, as 
he would have liked to tear the great docu- 
ment to which he had been forced to set his 
seal. 

This great charter marked an epoch in the 
history of England. It was not that it brought 
into existence new laws, for the same had, in 
a way, been vaguely accepted, but never 
before had they actually been put in writing. 
The great point now was that the ruler him- 


MAGNA CARTA 


81 


self should keep the law, and to show that he 
was just as amenable to it as any of his sub- 
jects. And this was the birth of political 
liberty. 

Before this time taxes had been levied just 
as the King saw fit. If he wanted money for 
any reason at all, the people had to find it, and 
they were powerless to resist. In consequence 
they were almost ruined. 

Often men had been imprisoned without 
trial. This could be done no more, for the 
charter said that “No freeman should be 
seized, imprisoned, dispossessed or outlawed 
in any way other than by the legal judgment 
of his peers and by the law of the land, and 
to no man may justice be delayed or denied.” 

King John died the year following the sign- 
ing of the Great Charter, and he passed away 
regretted by none of his subjects. While he 
was a man who possessed considerable ability, 
he lacked force and stability of purpose. He 
was tyrannical, treacherous, passionate, care- 
less of his public duties, and one of the worst 
of England’s kings. And yet an all-wise 
Providence ordained that through these bad 


82 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


qualities the nation should benefit to so great 
an extent, because they compelled the barons, 
people and clergy to make common cause 
against him. 

Magna Carta was the result of the first 
united action of England as a nation, and the 
foundation of the present constitution. 


WALTER RALEIGH AND HIS 
CLOAK 


The Earl of Sussex and the Earl of Leicester 
were rivals for the favor of Queen Elizabeth. 
Both were well-endowed with riches and good 
looks, and the race between them up to the 
present had been very even. But now the Earl 
of Sussex was lying at Say’s Court, near Lon- 
don, very ill with fever, which was not helped 
by the knowledge that his enforced absence 
from court would be made good use of by his 
antagonist. 

Among the retainers of the Earl of Sussex 
was a handsome young man named Walter 
Raleigh. Although not much more than 
twenty years of age, he was already well- 
known for his military prowess, and he had 
picked up many of the courtly arts practised 
by the gallants of France and Spain, with 
which countries he was well acquainted. 

83 


84 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

He was dressed in the height of fashion, and 
presented a graceful and striking appearance. 

The Earl’s physician had given him a 
special potion, and had instructed Walter, who 
was then on duty, that on no account should 
his master be disturbed, for if he were awak- 
ened the result might be his death. It was not 
long after this that a clamor at the gate an- 
nounced the arrival of some dignitary, and on 
inquiry Walter found that the Queen had sent 
her own doctor to advise upon the condition 
of the noble Earl. 

The young man refused him admittance, 
and the noted physician went away in high 
dudgeon, feeling that a slight had been put 
upon both himself and his royal mistress. 

Walter reported the circumstance to the 
Earl’s secretary, who was filled with dismay 
at the indignity put upon her Majesty’s leech. 
“The Queen,” said he, “showed my lord a 
mark of especial favor in sending to him her 
own learned physician, and now, whether he 
live or die, he will receive her good-will no 
more. And who is to bear the blame?” 

Raleigh said that as he had done the wrong 


WALTER RALEIGH 85 

the punishment must fall upon him. He also 
added that he would commit the same offense 
again, if necessary for his lordship’s health. 

He imagined that this event meant the end 
to his hopes and dreams of court favor, and 
his thoughts turned toward the colony of 
America, across the sea, where riches awaited 
the bold hearts who went in search of them. 
He did not regret having closed the door to 
the Queen’s doctor, knowing that he would 
have aroused his master from sleep, and that 
the consequence might have been disastrous. 
It was really a loving service that he had 
rendered. 

Late in the morning he learned that the 
Earl had awakened, much improved in health, 
the special draught given by his physician 
having well nigh cured him. Very soon he 
was summoned to report upon the happenings 
of the night, so he made his way to his master’s 
chamber. 

On hearing of the repulse to the Queen’s 
messenger by his young follower, his lordship 
laughed heartily. But soon he saw that it was 
a serious matter, to be dealt with at once. He 


86 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


therefore ordered Blount, his master of the 
horse, together with young Raleigh and an- 
other of his officers, to take boat immediately 
and go down the river to Greenwich, where 
the Queen was, and to express to her Majesty 
his grateful thanks for her kindness, and also 
to explain why he had been unable to use the 
valuable services of her learned doctor. 

Now Walter prided himself upon his ap- 
pearance, and always dressed, when abroad, in 
the height of fashion. His companions were 
less particular in this respect, and were rather 
disgusted when he bade them wait while he 
went to fetch a cloak which he had but just 
received from the tailor, saying that if he were 
going to court, he would wear his best. 

Soon they were being rowed down the beau- 
tiful Thames, and on nearing the landing at 
Greenwich saw the royal barge, evidently in 
readiness for a journey, as it was manned by 
the Queen’s watermen, and the route from the 
palace gate to the waterside was lined by the 
yeomen of the guard. 

As her Majesty was about to leave the pal- 
ace it could be seen that this was no time to 


WALTER RALEIGH 87 

secure an audience with her, so Blount sug- 
gested that they return at once to Say’s Court, 
but this Walter refused to do until their royal 
mistress had embarked. The boat was there- 
fore moored at a near-by landing-place, where 
they went ashore and walked in the direction 
of the palace gate. Admission was refused 
them by the porters, even though they said 
they were from the Earl of Sussex. 

Blount again tried to persuade Walter to 
return, but to this Walter would not listen 
until he had at least made an effort to deliver 
the message. 

And now the gate was opened. The ushers 
came first to see that a path was clear for her 
Majesty, who soon followed, surrounded by a 
crowd of courtiers. 

Elizabeth, while not beautiful, was very 
attractive in face and figure, and it could be 
seen that she was born to rule. She carried 
herself proudly, as became a daughter of the 
House of Tudor. 

This was the first opportunity young 
Raleigh had had to see his sovereign, and he 
wished to obtain as clear a view of her as pos- 


88 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


sible. He pressed forward in advance of his 
companions, and the ushers, noting his rich 
attire and noble bearing, concluded that he 
was connected with the court, and allowed him 
to approach nearer to the Queen than was 
usually permitted. He fixed his gaze eagerly 
upon her, and she in turn glanced at the hand- 
some youth, now bowing respectfully and ad- 
miringly before her, bonnet in hand. 

During the previous night there had been 
a heavy rain, and directly in the path of the 
Queen was a small pool of muddy water, at 
which she hesitated. Walter possessed a quick 
wit, and taking off his new cloak, laid it across 
the spot, thus enabling her to cross dry-shod. 

Elizabeth said not a word, but looked at the 
young man and bowed her head as she passed. 
Her face, however, showed how this act of 
gallantry pleased her. 

Walter’s friends made fun over the gay 
cloak, now so dirty, but he picked it up and 
folded it, saying that it should never be 
brushed while in his possession. 

At this moment they were interrupted by 
one of the ushers, who requested Walter to 


WALTER RALEIGH 


89 

follow him at once, saying that the order came 
directly from her Majesty. He obeyed the 
command, and his two friends, quite overcome 
with astonishment, proceeded on their way to 
Say’s Court to lay their report before the Earl 
of Sussex. 

The young gallant was taken to the royal 
barge, and with the mud-bespattered cloak 
upon his arm was led before the Queen, who 
thanked him warmly for his unusual act of 
courtesy, and requested the privilege of re- 
placing the soiled garment with a new one. 

Walter, in no way abashed by being in the 
presence of royalty, assured her Majesty that 
he was already honored by the service to 
which the mantle had been put, and that he 
would always prize it as his greatest posses- 
sion. 

This reply evidently was pleasing to the 
Queen, who asked him his name and station. 

“Walter Raleigh, your Majesty,” said he, 
“a gentleman attached to the household of the 
Earl of Sussex, and sent here by him with a 
message to your Grace.” 

At this Elizabeth frowned. “The one who 

7 


9 o THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

himself pays so little regard to messages and 
messengers,” said she. “Only this morning we 
sent our own physician to inquire after his 
lordship’s health, and to use his skill toward 
his recovery, but he was refused admittance 
to Say’s Court, although demanding it in our 
name. For this we will accept no excuse.” 

This speech boded evil things in store for 
the Earl, but upon Walter, to whom it was 
addressed, it had no effect. He assured the 
Queen that the message with which he was 
charged contained no apology. “The noble 
Earl,” he said, “was under the influence of a 
sleeping potion when your gracious message 
was received, and he knew nothing of the 
rebuff to your Majesty’s physician until after 
he awoke this morning. His own man of medi- 
cine had issued instructions that he should on 
no account be disturbed until the effect of the 
potion had worn off, as in that case his life 
might be endangered. I, Madam, am the cul- 
prit, and upon me should your Majesty’s dis- 
pleasure fall. The charge of the gate was 
mine when your kind message was received, 
and upon my own responsibility, having his 


WALTER RALEIGH 


9i 


lordship’s health in mind, did I refuse admis- 
sion. And my lord has sent me, as the 
offender, to accept what punishment your 
Grace may see fit to bestow.” 

“And so it was you that repelled my mes- 
senger and physician from Say’s Court,” said 
the Queen. “For one who seems so devoted 
to his sovereign you showed much boldness. 
Can you give me good reason for this?” 

“Madam,” replied Walter, “the physician 
is for the time being the sovereign of his 
patient. My lord was under the dominion of 
a leech who had greatly benefited him, and 
who had ordered that his patient be not dis- 
turbed on peril of his life. This morning he 
awoke much refreshed and strengthened, hav- 
ing enjoyed the only sleep he has had for some 
days.” 

The Queen now dropped her severe expres- 
sion, which had, indeed, been only a mask, and 
without disguising her satisfaction, said: “By 
my word, I am glad to hear he is better. And 
as we are now upon the river, we will change 
our purpose of going to the city, and instead 
will surprise the sick Earl with a visit. He 


92 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

doubtless fears our displeasure, and it were an 
act of charity to tell him that he has been hon- 
estly cleared by the frankness of this young 
man.” 

The royal barge was turned to the direction 
of Say’s Court, and there the Earl of Sussex 
personally received the good wishes of his sov- 
ereign. He was also informed that Walter 
Raleigh would henceforth belong to the 
Queen’s own household. 


DIETRICH 

DlETMAR was a powerful King and ruled at 
Berne with a strong hand. He was a great 
warrior and terrible in battle; but at home he 
was kind and gentle to all, especially to his 
wife, a daughter of the King of Denmark, and 
to his son Dietrich, who was the joy of his 
heart. 

Dietrich had long fair hair which fell over 
his shoulders in heavy curls. He was tall and 
slender, but very strong, and when he was 
twelve years of age he had the might of a great 
warrior. He was good to look upon except 
when he was angry, and then he was terrible. 
It was seen that he was destined to become a 
great hero. 

When he was five years old, Hildebrand, 
Count of Garden, visited Dietmar’s court. 
Hildebrand was not only a noted soldier, but 

93 


94 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

a wise man as well, and the King was so 
pleased with his guest that he appointed him 
to be his son’s governor and tutor. And in this 
way there sprang up a friendship between 
teacher and pupil that lasted until they were 
parted by death. 

Now it happened that Dietmar’s country 
was infested by a giant and giantess, who slew 
and plundered the people. They were so tre- 
mendously strong that no one could resist 
them. Force after force was sent against them, 
but without avail, as they were so cunning that 
they were always in some safe hiding place 
when too numerous a party sought them. This 
ill-success worried not only the King, but 
Dietrich and his governor, and at last the two 
determined to capture the giants themselves, 
even though they might spend years in search 
of them. 

So they set out in pursuit, and wandered 
over mountains and through valleys without 
sight of them. But one day, when they were 
hunting with hawks and hounds, they came to 
a large forest in the midst of which was a 
meadow, which promised well for game. 


DIETRICH 


95 

Uncoupling the hounds, they rode one to 
the right and the other to the left of the 
meadow, each holding his weapons in readi- 
ness for use. As Dietrich advanced a dwarf 
attempted to cross in front of him. Stooping 
from his horse, he caught hold of the little 
man and put him before him. The prisoner 
squealed so loudly that he attracted the atten- 
tion of Hildebrand, who galloped across the 
meadow to find out the reason for the noise. 

On seeing the dwarf, he said to Dietrich: 
“Hold the rascal tight, for he is Elbegast, the 
prince of thieves, and surely a friend of the 
rascals we seek.” 

At this the dwarf shrieked louder than 
before, and said that far from being their 
friend he desired to be revenged for wrongs 
the giant and his sister had done him. He said 
that they had even forced him to forge for 
them the great sword Nagelring, and the 
strong helmet Hildegrim; and that they had 
made him show them how to reach their vic- 
tims by secret ways which only he himself 
knew. If the two warriors wished to capture 
or kill the giants, he would help them. 


96 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

Then the dwarf was released, upon which 
he drew a long breath, and said : “If I desired 
to escape from you now, you could not catch 
me, but I wish to be freed from the power of 
the giants, and so will serve you faithfully. 
Meet me here at daybreak to-morrow, and I 
will give you the sword Nagelring, without 
which you will be helpless against them. I 
will steal it from them just as sure as I am 
the prince of thieves. And I will guide you 
so that you may track them to their hiding 
place in the mountain, and if you slay them 
you will be rewarded with much booty.” 

At this the dwarf disappeared. The next 
morning, before daybreak, the prince and Hil- 
debrand were at the place appointed for the 
meeting, even though they agreed that the 
thievish Elbegast was not to be trusted. But 
as they were speaking, they heard a clanking 
sound, and looking about, saw the dwarf com- 
ing toward them, dragging a huge sword. 
This Dietrich seized with a cry of joy, and 
unsheathing it, swung it in the air. 

“With this you have the strength of twelve 
men,” cried Elbegast, “and can fight the 


DIETRICH 


97 


monsters on equal terms. Now look carefully 
and you will see distinctly the marks of their 
shoes on the grass. Follow the tracks and they 
will lead you directly to the entrance of their 
cave. And now I will leave you.” 

When he had gone the two followed the 
tracks pointed out by the dwarf, and soon they 
reached a high cliff, but could find no opening. 
Here and there was a crack, but none large 
enough for a full-sized man to enter. Hilde- 
brand thought that a piece of rock might be 
used as a door, and he tried to loosen any 
piece that projected far enough for him to 
catch hold of. And his efforts were not lost, 
for presently a great block stirred beneath his 
hands and fell with a great noise to the valley 
below. 

A deep cavern was now exposed to view, 
and into this the sunlight penetrated. In the 
rear of the cave a large fire was burning, and 
close to the flames Grim, the giant, was seen 
lying on a bed of skins. 

The noise of the falling rock awakened him, 
and seeing the warriors approach, he looked 
about for his sword. Not finding it, he seized 


98 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

a burning log, and rushed upon Dietrich, who 
was in the lead. He aimed fierce blows at 
him, but the young warrior’s nimbleness 
enabled him to escape them. The prince had 
insisted upon attacking the giant alone, and in- 
deed Hildebrand was very busy himself, for 
the giantess now appeared and caught him 
with such a deadly grip that he could scarcely 
breathe. He struggled hard, but could not 
free himself, and at last he was thrown upon 
his back, and the giantess pressed his hands 
and arms so tightly that the blood came from 
under his nails. 

Hildebrand called to his companion for aid, 
and Dietrich, seeing his friend’s danger, 
dodged the giant’s weapon and, holding his 
great sword with both hands, dealt him such 
a blow that the monster’s head was split in 
twain. Then he turned upon the giantess, and 
in a few minutes slew her too. 

His governor staggered to his feet and said 
that after this he would look upon the prince 
as his master instead of his pupil, because the 
enormous woman had been a more formidable 
foe than any he had ever met before. In the 


DIETRICH 


99 

cave they found a great store of treasure, 
which they took to Berne. 

King Dietmar rejoiced in his son’s victory, 
which made Dietrich famous. But soon after 
this event the King died, and Dietrich reigned 
in his place. In Hildebrand’s charge he gave 
his younger brother Diether, begging his 
friend to teach the boy to be a worthy son of 
his father. 

This Hildebrand did, and the boy grew up 
to love what was good and true, and to be as 
brave as was his brother Dietrich. 


WILLIAM, COUNT OF ORANGE 

BEING a man of great valor and good deeds, 
Count Henry of Narbonne well deserved the 
high esteem in which he was held by Charle- 
magne, Emperor of the Franks. He and his 
wife were blessed with many children, and 
when a time of peace had come he withdrew 
to his castle in order that he might devote 
himself to the education of his sons and 
daughters. 

When the sons, of whom there were seven, 
had reached man’s estate, the Count said that 
he wished them to listen carefully to a story 
he had to tell. 

“Once, many years ago,” he said, “after a 
long and hard fight, I sank, wounded and 
exhausted, on the field of battle. Several of 
the enemy were about to slay me as I lay on 
the ground helpless, when a faithful squire 


IOO 


COUNT OF ORANGE 


IOI 


defended me at the risk of his life. Help 
arrived just as he fell by my side, sorely 
wounded. 

“Health returned to me, but he grew weaker 
and weaker each day. He had no fear of 
death, but the fate of his little son caused him 
much worry, for, as his wife had died some 
time before, the little boy would be left an 
orphan. 

“I promised him that I would be a father 
to the boy, and that if he should prove worthy 
I would make him my heir, even though I 
should have children of my own. He grew up 
to be a true knight and gallant warrior and I 
am proud of him. 

“Now, my sons, I wish you to say whether 
I shall keep my word to the faithful friend 
who lost his life through defending me, or if 
you desire that I divide my estate between 
you?” 

The sons replied that under no considera- 
tion would they have their father break his 
promised word; rather than that, they would 
beg their bread. 

Then cried the Countess ; “All that I have 


102 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


is yours, my children. And you have inheri- 
ted from your father that which is priceless — 
courage, knightliness, and good faith to God 
and man.” 

“Then, my dear sons,” said the Count, “you 
may go to the Emperor’s court, and if you are 
true to the lessons you have learned, success 
will be yours.” 

So the young warriors went to Charle- 
magne, who received them well, for the sake 
of his old friend, Count Henry. And soon he 
learned to love them, too. 

Not long after this the Moors invaded Gas- 
cony, and the young men acquitted themselves 
so bravely that upon their return the Emperor 
knighted them and gave them fiefs. William, 
the oldest, was made governor of the southern 
coast of France, and there he proved a vigi- 
lant warden, holding the land safely against 
the attacks of the Saracens. 

About this time Charlemagne the Great 
died, and he was succeeded by his son Lud- 
wig. The new ruler made it his custom to 
visit all parts of his country, to see for himself 
what the conditions were. Among other 


COUNT OF ORANGE 


103 


places, he visited the castle in which William 
lived with his youngest sister. This maiden 
was so very charming that the Emperor fell in 
love with and married her. 

For some years there was peace in the land, 
but suddenly they were invaded by the Sara- 
cens under the powerful Emirs Tureman and 
Balikan. Emperor Ludwig and Count Wil- 
liam led the army against their old enemy, and 
in one of the battles William was captured 
and taken as a prisoner to Valencia by the 
Emir Tibalt. 

At Valencia William was loaded with chains 
and imprisoned in a dismal dungeon, and 
there the Emir’s sister, Arabella, had charge 
of him, while her brother was away fighting. 
Tibalt had directed her to feed the prisoner 
on bread and water, and on no account was 
she to allow his chains to be removed. He 
thought that this treatment might cause him 
to embrace the Mohammedan religion rather 
than continue to suffer ignominy. 

For a time Arabella obeyed her brother’s 
orders, and did not even visit her prisoner, but 
presently she became curious about him, and 


io 4 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

with her guard went to his cell. There she 
saw what a kindly, gentle knight he was, and 
she felt sorry for his misfortune. As the weeks 
passed, Arabella tried to teach him her relig- 
ion, and reminded him that if he did so he 
would be freed from his chains. William, in 
his turn, told her about his religion of love 
and mercy, and at last she confessed that she 
wished to become a Christian. And now love 
had come to them both, and so with the help 
of a faithful old servant, Arabella hired a ves- 
sel, freed the Count, and they determined to 
fly to the court of Ludwig. 

But when the captain of the ship learned 
that he was to steer for the coast of France, he 
absolutely refused. At this William threw 
him overboard, and then, with drawn sword, 
forced the crew to obey his orders. 

Now just at this time Tibalt returned, and 
the captain, who had swum ashore, told him 
what had happened. Without loss of time the 
Emir embarked on another ship and started 
in pursuit of the fugitives, but he was unable 
to overtake them. 

William and Arabella safely reached the 


COUNT OF ORANGE 


105 

court of Ludwig, and he and his Queen re- 
ceived them with kindness. But before long 
the admiration excited by Arabella’s great 
beauty aroused the Queen’s jealousy, and she 
began to look upon them both with disfavor. 

As soon as possible, Arabella was baptised 
and received into the Christian church, and 
her name was changed to Gyburg. Then she 
and Count William were married by Pope 
Leo, in the presence of Emperor Ludwig, and 
after the ceremony they went to Orange, the 
home of the Count. 

For some years they lived happily and 
quietly at Orange, and having no children of 
their own, William adopted the son of one of 
his sisters who had died, and made him his 
heir. The boy’s name was Vivian, and much 
love and care were bestowed upon his educa- 
tion. He grew up to be a brave and knightly 
youth, and while still in early manhood he 
won glory on the field of battle. 

The Moors again invaded France in vast 
numbers. Soon they overran the province of 
Aquitaine, and there was real fear that they 
would conquer the whole country. Count Wil- 

8 


io6 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


liam, with his adopted son and all the soldiers 
he could gather together, hastened against the 
enemy. The two armies met on the plain of 
Alicon, and, with loud cries of “Machmet!” 
from the Saracens and “ Montjoie , St. Denis!” 
from the Franks, a terrible battle commenced. 

For a whole day the strife raged, and young 
Vivian acquitted himself as a hero. He proved 
his courage, but when the dusk began to fall 
he received a mortal wound. 

He became unconscious, and when he came 
to himself he found that he was lying on the 
field of battle, surrounded by the slain. He 
was parched with thirst, and prayed for water. 
His prayer was answered, for an angel ap- 
peared and guided him to the side of a brook, 
where he was able to quench his thirst. Be- 
fore leaving him, the angel said : “The town 
of Orange and the Countess Gyburg are in 
peril.” 

When young Vivian heard this he fainted, 
and it was in this condition that Count Wil- 
liam, who had sought him all over the field of 
carnage, found him. 

With difficulty his father revived him, but 


COUNT OF ORANGE 


107 


he retained just enough strength to repeat the 
angel’s warning, and then he fell back, dead. 

And now the Count had a hard task before 
him. In searching for Vivian he had lost 
track of his men. The battle was over, but 
without assistance how was it possible for him 
to save Gyburg and Orange? And then his 
horse was wounded, so that he had to lead it. 
The way to Orange was long and toilsome, but 
without loss of time he set out on his journey 
on foot. 

He traveled in this way all through the 
night, and early in the morning he encount- 
ered a Moorish officer and several soldiers. 
Without hesitation he attacked them and 
killed their leader, and the rest, surprised and 
naturally thinking him to be in advance of 
others, turned and fled. Being alone, he put 
the dress of the slain Moor over his armor, and 
mounting his horse continued on his journey 
to Orange, which place he reached in safety, 
followed by his faithful wounded war horse. 

He was just in time to prepare the castle for 
defense, for soon the enemy arrived and tried 
to take it by storm. In this they were unsuc- 


io8 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


cessful, so they determined to starve the gar- 
rison. After a while the besieged began to 
suffer from want of food, and in time they 
were reduced to such straits that William 
made up his mind to slip through the hostile 
lines and bring back reinforcements and pro- 
visions. So he donned the uniform he had 
taken from the body of the Moor, and making 
his wife and officers swear to defend the for- 
tress to the last extremity, he started on his 
dangerous undertaking. 

He succeeded in making his way through 
the enemy’s lines, and reached the city of 
Orleans. There the commander of the guard 
ordered that he be executed, believing him to 
be a Saracen on account of his garb. The 
Count protested that he was a Frank, and 
gave his name and rank, but the officer was 
not convinced until the governor of the city, 
who was his brother, arrived at the head of 
an armed force, and took him to his palace. 
There William would partake of nothing but 
bread and water, as he refused to feast while 
his wife and men were almost starving. He 
remained with his brother for a few hours to 


COUNT OF ORANGE 


109 

rest, and then went on his way to the Em- 
peror’s court. 

Here he was received but coldly, especially 
by his sister, who was still jealous of Gyburg’s 
beauty. She even intimated that the Count’s 
wife had instigated the invasion by the Sara- 
cens, and the Emperor seemed unwilling to 
send reinforcements to Orange. 

So precious time was wasted, but mean- 
while word reached the aged Count of Nar- 
bonne that William sought for help, so he, 
his sons and many other knights came to offer 
assistance. When they heard of the ill-treat- 
ment William had received at the hands of 
the Emperor, he went to him and threatened 
that he and the other knights would rebel 
against him if he refused to support his vassals. 
And he told his daughter very plainly what 
he thought of her ridiculous rancour and 
bade her do her duty. His outspoken lan- 
guage had good effect, and orders were at once 
given that ample succor be sent to Orange. In 
a very short time an army was ready. 

At the approach of the Frankish host the 
Saracens fled in haste, leaving behind their 


no THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


tents and provisions, which William at once 
seized for the use of the soldiers. 

Among the menials at the castle was a strap- 
ping young fellow, a Moor by birth, who had 
been captured from the Moors when a child 
and presented to William. Many thought this 
young man to be half-witted, and called him 
“Jack the Dunce,” but the Count was sure he 
was of noble birth. At one time he had had 
the good fortune to save Ludwig’s daughter 
Alice from the attack of a wolf, when she 
desired to reward him he merely requested 
that she keep the matter secret, and this she 
did. But when he went with the soldiers to 
fight against the Moors she sought him out 
and gave him a ring as a farewell gift. 

After the raising of the siege of Orange, 
William’s attention was somehow drawn to 
this young man, and noticing the masterly 
manner in which he handled his only weapon, 
a quarter-staff, he gave him his freedom and 
requested the Lady Gyburg to provide him 
with the requisites of a warrior. The youth 
was grateful for the kindness shown him, and 
swore to serve the Count faithfully to the 


COUNT OF ORANGE 


hi 


death. And as he turned away the Countess 
heard him say, as though to himself: “Now I 
may strive for her I love, and can show my 
royal lineage. Terramer, you have forgotten 
your son, who has become a loyal Frank, able 
and willing to fight for his new country.” 

Gyburg called him back hastily and re- 
quested him to tell his story. This revealed 
the fact that he was her own brother, Renn- 
wart, and there was a joyful recognition. 
After this he joined the force that marched 
against the Moors, but though clad in the 
armor of a knight, he still carried the quarter- 
staff to which he was so well-used. 

In the battle which followed Rennwart 
fully justified the Count’s trust, and when he 
returned he brought with him several prison- 
ers of high degree, among whom was the 
Moorish chief Terramer. 

The Moors were utterly defeated, and Ter- 
ramer was wounded and broken-hearted. But 
William and Gyburg were so kind and con- 
siderate toward him that both his body and 
spirit began to mend, and soon he made 
friends with them. And when he found that 


1 12 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


his captor was the son whom he had mourned 
as dead, he was comforted. 

When William and Gyburg returned to 
Orleans with the victorious army, they were 
well received, and the Count was rewarded by 
being created Duke of Aquitaine, and Renn- 
wart was made Count of Nismes. 

The Emperor gave a great feast for the men- 
at-arms, and a banquet for the nobles, and 
while the heroes were enjoying these good 
things, Rennwart sat silent and absorbed 
until the Princess Alice approached. Then 
his face lighted up and the royal maiden 
blushed. The Empress noticed this and won- 
dered if they had met before, and questioned 
Gyburg about it. Then she learned Renn- 
wart’s story, and heard that he and Alice had 
loved one another since the day when he, in 
the guise of a menial, had saved the Princess 
from the wolf. A few days after this the two 
young people were betrothed. 

William governed the people of Aquitaine 
and Orange wisely and justly, and in his rule 
he received the help of the Lady Gyburg. 
They built churches and almshouses and in 


COUNT OF ORANGE 


113 


the mountains they established places of ref- 
uge for belated wanderers who had lost their 
way. For many years they lived, doing good 
to all, and when their end came, almost at the 
same time, they were well stricken in years, 
and their people were firmly convinced that 
they were saints. 


HETTEL THE HEGELING 


WHEN the daughter of Hagen of Ireland was 
of marriageable age, Hettel was King of 
Denmark, and he held his court at Castle 
Mattelane. He was a great warrior and many 
owed him allegiance, chief among these was 
his kinsman, old Wate, ruler of Sturmland, 
famous as a doughty fighter. Also there were 
the powerful lords Horand and Frute, both of 
Denmark; Irold the Swift, of Friesland, and 
Morung of Nifland. All of these were eager 
to help their over-lord, should occasion arise. 

One night, when they were feasting to- 
gether, Morung suggested to King Hettel that 
it was quite time he sought a wife, and said 
that Gerling, daughter of King Hagen of Ire- 
land, was a fit mate for him, as she was famous 
for her beauty and virtue. Horand and Frute, 
each of whom was a noted minstrel, also said 


HETTEL THE HEGELING 115 

that she was justly praised, but that her father 
would permit none to woo her who could not 
overcome him in battle. 

All of this made Hettel wish to make the 
fair Gerling his wife, so he asked who would 
undertake the wooing for him. All answered 
that old Wate was the man to be his ambas- 
sador; but though he had no desire to act in 
any such capacity, he promised that he would 
undertake the duty if Horand and Frute 
would accompany him. 

The latter two agreed to this if Irold the 
Swift, King of the Northland, would join 
them. He assented, and so the three warriors 
prepared for the journey. They fitted out a 
fleet of ships laden with gifts and a thousand 
men, and started upon their journey. In due 
course they reached Castle Balian, where 
Hagen held his court. 

So splendidly were their ships appointed 
that they were greeted with amazement, for 
none in Ireland had seen such magnificence. 
The captains of the ships explained their pres- 
ence by saying that they were merchants on 
a trading expedition. 


ii6 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


The news of their arrival was brought 
speedily to Hagen, who hastened to the wharf 
where the ships had docked. Then Frute and 
Horand came forward and said that they were 
not really merchants, but were fugitives from 
their over-lord, Hettel the Hegeling. 

This caused Hagen to laugh, because he had 
heard much of this King of Denmark, and 
greatly had desired to engage him in single 
combat. He therefore welcomed the visitors 
and invited them to visit his castle. The 
invitation was accepted, and the rich gifts they 
had brought were presented to the King and 
Queen. The offerings were so abundant that 
Hagen would willingly have given lands and 
houses to the strangers, in order to keep them 
in the country. But they would not promise 
to stay, because they had wives and families to 
whom they hoped to return. 

At the banqueting-hall they were presented 
to the Princess, and all had much to say except 
Wate, their leader. 

The Queen whispered to her daughter that 
she should greet the foreign lord, but the girl 
feared to, because he looked so stern and was 
a head taller than any of the others. 


HETTEL THE HEGELING 117 

Hagen’s wife asked Wate why he was so 
silent, and he answered that he was anxious 
for his ship, as a storm was coming. 

The Princess asked him if he were not 
happy with them, or if he would rather be 
out in the storm, or fighting? 

Old Wate answered: “Lady, I have never 
learned to dance nor to talk softly with women, 
but I do love the din of battle, where the 
Norns sing of glorious death or conquest.” 

This was a long speech for this austere old 
man, but the other warriors spoke of the 
beauties of their country and of its castles, 
knights, and minstrels. When the banqueting 
was over the night was far gone, and the visi- 
tors took leave of their hosts and retired. 

In the morning Horand sang before the 
Queen and her daughter, and both were 
charmed with his songs. And so the days 
passed, enlivened by tournaments, minstrelsy 
and feasting. 

One day, when Horand was alone with the 
Princess, he sang about a great king who had 
fallen sick through his love for a maiden 
named Gerling. The song caused her to think 


ii8 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


this to be personal, so she asked for the name 
of the king who cared for her. Then the 
minstrel showed her a portrait of King Hettel 
and also spoke to her about her father’s 
actions toward those knights who would woo 
her. He also told her of the secret mission 
upon which he and his companions had come, 
and he besought her to come with them 
to Hegelingland, where the King anxiously 
awaited her. 

But Gerling would only promise to look at 
their ships and the beautiful things they had 
brought. 

After being entertained for many days, the 
Norsemen said to King Hagen: “Sire, we 
have received good news from home. Our 
King now knows that false charges were made 
against us, and we are restored to his favor. 
We therefore wish to thank you for your great 
kindness to us and to return to our own land.” 

Hagen had become fond of his guests and 
did not wish them to depart without giving 
them valuable gifts. But when he offered 
them, Frute said: “We are already so rich 
that we cannot accept your gifts of gold and 


HETTEL THE HEGELING 119 

silver, but it would pleasure us greatly if you 
would deign to board our ships and banquet 
with us there.” 

This Hagen did not wish to do, but the 
Queen and their daughter desired it, so he gave 
way to them. 

The ships were all ready for their depar- 
ture when Hagen and his party appeared. 
Boats to take them aboard were awaiting 
them, and Horand took the gentle Gerling to 
her maid and steered them to his ship. Hagen 
and his followers were about to enter another 
boat when Wate, Frute and Irold thrust them 
back and pushed away from the land, and as 
soon as they reached the ships they set sail. 

Hagen rushed into the water as far as he 
could and called upon his warriors to pursue 
the traitors, but all to no purpose, for the Irish 
boats were not ready for sea and by this time 
the Hegeling ships were almost out of sight. 

During the voyage, which lasted for several 
days, the fair Gerling wept on account of her 
father and mother, but Horand sang to her, 
and his sweet voice gave her much comfort. 
At length they reached Denmark, where King 
Hettel awaited them. 


120 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


When they had landed, Hettel showed great 
attention to Gerling, and he treated her with 
such kindness and consideration that he soon 
gained her affection. 

They were preparing to depart for his 
castle of Matterlane when they saw a great 
fleet of ships approaching, and from each ship 
floated the banner of the Cross. Hettel at first 
thought them to be Crusaders on their way to 
fight the pagans, but soon the flag of King 
Hagen was hoisted, and then he knew that it 
was against him that an enemy was come. 

Their warriors were drawn up in battle 
array, and old Wate was filled with joy at 
the prospect of a passage of arms against the 
formidable Irish King. All the warriors were 
cheerful, but the fair Gerling grieved that she 
should be the cause of bloodshed. 

The ships came to anchor and boats full of 
armed men came toward the shore, but they 
met with such resistance that they could not 
land. Then Hagen flung himself into the 
water and, followed by his bravest men, fought 
his way to the shore. He fought so fiercely 
that there was no staying him, and soon King 
Hettel fell wounded and was carried away. 


HETTEL THE HEGELING 121 


And now old Wate sought Hagen, and there 
followed an encounter in which each fought 
like a lion, but neither gave way. Both were 
severely wounded when King Hettel, band- 
aged and pale from loss of blood, reached 
them, and the gentle Gerling was leaning upon 
his arm. 

Hettel threw his arms about old Wate and 
Gerling did the same to her father, and both 
entreated them to make peace. 

Hagen clasped his daughter in his arms, for 
he was touched by her solicitude, and then he 
held out his hand, first to Hettel and then to 
old Wate. 

And so the battle was over, and as soon as 
the wounded were attended to a great banquet 
was held. A ship was despatched for Queen 
Gerling, and when she arrived they all de- 
parted for the castle at Matterlane, where 
King Hettel and the fair maiden were married 
with great pomp. 

9 


SIR ANDREW BARTON 


ONE beautiful day in the month of May King 
Henry was out riding. He had crossed over 
the river Thames when he was met by a depu- 
tation of eighty London merchants. 

They bowed before the King, who welcomed 
them as good sailors and rich merchants. 

Then they said to King Henry: “Sire, we 
are surely good sailors, but we cannot be rich 
merchants, for our ships cannot land our wares 
in France or Flanders because of a bold pirate 
who robs us of all our merchandise.” 

At this the King frowned and, turning 
round, swore that he had not thought there 
could be any one who could do them such 
wrong. 

The merchants sighed, and said: “He is a 
proud Scot that robs on the seas, and his name 
is Sir Andrew Barton.” 

The King looked angrily over his shoulder 


122 


SIR ANDREW BARTON 123 

and asked: “Is there a lord in all my realm 
who will undertake to capture this traitor?” 

Then spoke Lord Howard: “If it please 
your Grace to give me leave, I will be the one 
to bring this pirate to you.” 

The King replied: “You are but a young 
man, and lack the experience which yonder 
Scot possesses.” 

“Trust me, my liege,” said Howard. “If I 
do not take him prisoner, I will never appear 
before you again.” 

“Very well,” said Henry; “then choose what 
bowmen and gunners you wish, also sailors to 
man your ships.” And so he gave him the 
command. 

The first man that Lord Howard chose was 
considered the ablest gunner in the country, 
although he was seventy years old. Peter 
Simon was his name. 

“Peter,” said he, “I am going to sea to cap- 
ture a traitor, and have chosen you to be the 
head of a hundred gunners.” 

“My Lord,” said Peter, “if you have chosen 
me to be the head of a hundred gunners, you 
may hang me to the mainmast if I miss my 
mark by the breadth of a shilling.” 


124 THE ruby story book 

Lord Howard then selected William Hors- 
ley, a gentleman of Yorkshire, who had won 
fame as a bowman. 

“Horsley,” said he, “I must with speed seek 
a traitor on the sea, and I have chosen you to 
be the head of a hundred archers.” 

“If you have chosen me to be the head of a 
hundred archers,” said William, “you may 
hang me to the mainmast if I miss twelve 
score by a penny’s breadth.” 

So with pikes and guns and bold archers the 
noble Howard sailed from the mouth of the 
Thames with a valiant heart and great good 
cheer. 

After sailing for three days he overhauled 
a large ship and requested the captain to give 
an account of himself. 

“My name is Henry Hunt,” said the cap- 
tain, “and I and my ship hail from New- 
castle.” Then he sighed and added: “Yester- 
day I was the prisoner of Sir Andrew Barton, 
a Scottish pirate. I was sailing to Bordeaux 
when he captured my ship and robbed me of 
all my merchandise. And now I owe many 
debts, and am bound to London to beg a boon 
of our gracious King.” 


SIR ANDREW BARTON 125 

“That you need not do,” said Lord Howard. 
“Let me see the thief but once and for every 
penny taken from you shall be given twice 
three shillings.” 

Then said the merchant: “God keep you 
out of that traitor’s hands, for little you know 
what man he is. His ship is armored with 
brass within and steel without, and on his top- 
castle are strong beams, and on each side are 
eighteen pieces of ordnance. Besides these, 
he has a well-made pinnace which carries 
nearly two hundred men, and on each side of 
which are fifteen cannons. And if you had 
twenty ships and he but one, he would over- 
come them all if his strong beams fell down 
upon them.” 

“You give cold comfort,” said my lord, “yet 
I’ll take both him and his ship, or else he will 
carry me back to Scotland.” 

“Then,” said Hunt, “you must have a gun- 
ner who can aim straight and sink his pinnace, 
or you will never be able to defeat him. And 
if you should by chance board his ship, let no 
man go to his topcastle to try to let down the 
beams. Now, if your Honor will lend me 


126 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


seven pieces of ordnance for each side of my 
ship, I will lead you on the sea, and swear that 
by nine o’clock to-morrow morning you shall 
meet with Sir Andrew Barton, knight.” 

So Lord Howard lent the guns, and, as the 
merchant had said, the next morning by nine 
o’clock they sighted Sir Andrew Barton’s ship. 

It was a beautiful ship and about it was so 
much gilt that when the sun shone upon it the 
eye was quite dazzled. 

Then Howard ordered a white willow wand 
such as merchants used to be put in place of 
the banners, and thus they passed by Sir 
Andrew. 

“What English churls are yonder who 
show me so little courtesy?” said the rover. 
“For more than three years I have been 
admiral of the sea, and never an English nor 
Portuguese ship can pass this way without my 
leave.” 

Then he ordered forth his stout pinnace, 
and swore that all these English peddlers 
should hang at his mainmast. 

With that the pinnace fired a broadside 
which killed fourteen of Howard’s men and 
struck down his foremast. 


SIR ANDREW BARTON 127 

“Come here, Simon,” said my lord, “and 
see that your words come true, for if you miss 
your mark one shilling’s breadth, you shall 
hang at my mainmast.” 

Simon was an old man, but he was bold. 
He laid his ordnance low, and put in chain 
nine yards long, and then filled it with other 
great shot. And then he fired, and so true 
was his eye that Sir Andrew saw his pinnace 
sink in the sea. 

How his heart swelled with rage! He 
cried: “Now cut my ropes, it is time to be 
gone. I’ll fetch yon peddlers back myself.” 

When my lord saw Sir Andrew loose fie 
was glad at heart, and ordered the banners to 
be spread, the drums to beat, and the trumpets 
to sound. 

“Whatever happens, fight on, my men,” 
said Sir Andrew, “for it is the Lord Admiral 
of England who seeks me.” 

Now Simon had a son with him who was 
almost as good a gunner as he was himself, 
and he fired a shot that scared Sir Andrew, 
for it killed sixty of his men. Then Henry 
Hunt came bravely on the other side and shot 


128 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

down his foremast, besides killing eighty 
men. 

“Now, alas!” cried Sir Andrew, “what can 
I say? Yonder merchant who has done 
me so much damage was my prisoner yester- 
day.” 

He called to him a trusty man of the Gor- 
don clan, and offered him three hundred 
marks if he would make the beams fall down 
on the merchant ship. 

Then Lord Howard said to Horsley: “See 
now that your words be true, for you shall 
hang at the mainmast if you miss twelvescore 
one penny’s breadth.” 

The Gordon worked with might and main 
to loose the beams on the mainmast, but Hors- 
ley shot him through the brain with an arrow, 
so that he fell, wounded to death, into the 
hatches. And the word went through Sir 
Andrew’s men that the Gordon was dead. 

Then the rover called to his nephew, James 
Hambilton and offered him six hundred 
nobles if he would let down the beams. 

James sprang nimbly to the mainmast, and 
did his best to release the beams, but soon he 


SIR ANDREW BARTON 129 

fell to the deck, pierced through the heart 
with an arrow from Horsley’s bow. And at 
this every Scot cried: “Wellaway! Alas! a 
comely youth is slain.” 

All woe-begone was Sir Andrew, and filled 
with grief and rage. He ordered that his 
armor of proof, gilded with clear gold, be 
brought to him. 

This suit of armor was so stout that neither 
bullet nor arrow could more than dent it. It 
had been given to Sir Andrew by his brother 
John, with whom it had seen much service in 
war. As the rover often said : 

“And when he had on this armor of proof, 

He was a gallant sight to see : 

Ah ! ne’er didst thou meet with living wight, 
My dear brother, could cope with thee.” 

And a gallant sight was Sir Andrew when 
he had donned the suit. Now he started for the 
topcastle to free the beams himself, and Lord 
Howard said to Horsley: “Come hither, and 
see that your shaft goes true. Shoot a good 
shot in this time of need, and for it you shall 
be made a knight.” 


I 3 0 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

“I’ll shoot my best with might and main, 
as your Honor shall see,” replied the stout 
bowman; “but I have now only two arrows 
left.” 

Then, as Sir Andrew worked hard at the 
tree, Horsley’s arrow struck him full upon 
his breast, but bounded back again. 

The archer now had but one shaft. Sud- 
denly his eagle eye caught sight of a small 
piece of leather underneath the shoulder of 
Sir Andrew’s right arm, where the armor was 
joined, and, drawing his bow, his last arrow 
reached the rover’s heart. 

“Fight on, my men,” said Sir Andrew. 
“I’m somewhat hurt, but not yet slain; for a 
while I’ll rest, but soon again will I be in 
the fight. Flinch not, but stand fast by St. 
Andrew’s cross until you hear my whistle 
blow.” 

But his men’s hearts waxed sore with dread, 
for they never heard his whistle blow. Then 
said Horsley: “My Lord, let us board the 
pirate ship, for well I know Sir Andrew’s 
dead.” 

So then they boarded the noble ship, and 


SIR ANDREW BARTON 131 

eighteen score Scots they found alive; the 
rest were either wounded or slain. Sir An- 
drew’s body was buried in the sea, and Lord 
Howard said: “If you were alive as you are 
dead, many a day would pass before I could 
see England again.” 

Then he sailed back to the Thames with 
much joy and triumph, and he wrote a letter 
to the King, telling him of the noble prize he 
had brought and that Sir Andrew’s ship was 
the greatest afloat. 

King Henry welcomed the noble Howard 
with royal cheer, and asked where the stout 
rover was, that he himself might pronounce 
his doom. 

“The rover is safe full many a fathom deep 
in the sea, my liege,” said Howard; “and if 
he were alive as he is dead, I must have left 
England many a day. And your Grace must 
thank four men in the ship for the victory we 
have won. These are William Horsley, Henry 
Hunt, Peter Simon and his son.” 

Then said the King to Henry Hunt: “A 
noble a day shall you have for life and all Sir 
Andrew’s jewels.” And to Horsley he said: 


i 3 2 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

“You shall be made knight and endowed with 
lands and livings.” And to Lord Howard he 
gave an earldom. Peter Simon and his son 
were to be maintained always in comfort, and 
to every man on the ship was given five hun- 
dred marks. 

“I would give a thousand marks were Sir 
Andrew now alive,” said the King, “for he 
played a manful part. To each of his men 
shall be given twelve pence a day, and they 
shall be returned to their own land.” 


HAGEN 


Hagen, the son of King Sigeband of Ireland, 
was a sturdy, good-natured little boy, and he 
was the leader in all the games and sports of 
which the athletic children of those days were 
so fond. 

One fine summer’s day the boys were en- 
gaged in throwing their spears at a target. 
When they had thrown them all they ran for- 
ward to get their weapons, and as the young 
prince could beat them all at running, he was 
the first to reach the target. He was pulling 
out his spear when an old man called out: 
“Run away and hide, children, for danger is 
in the sky.” 

They all looked up, and true enough, a huge 
griffin was seen to be approaching with the 
swiftness of an arrow shot from the bow. 

All fled but Hagen, who, although but a 
133 


134 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

child, feared nothing. He boldly stood his 
ground and, seizing his spear, threw it with 
all his strength at the fierce bird. The 
weapon merely grazed the feathers of the 
griffin, which swooped down upon the child 
and, gripping him with his talons, was soon 
speeding through the air with its human bur- 
den. Many years passed before his parents 
saw him again. 

There was no hope of rescue, for the flight 
of the huge bird was too swift. The heir to 
the throne was gone, and now there was only 
sorrow where so short a time before had been 
mirth and joy. 

The nest of the griffin was built on a rock 
rising out of the water, many miles away, and 
here the bird left the boy for its young ones 
to eat, and then flew away for more spoil. 

Hagen defended himself against the little 
griffins as well as he could and fought them 
with all his strength. But one of them was 
quite large and could fly, so it caught up the 
boy and carried him to the branch of a tree, 
greedily intending to eat him himself. But 
the bough bent under their combined weight, 


HAGEN 


135 

and soon it broke, and both fell into a thicket 
of thorns beneath. 

The fall frightened the griffin, which flew 
away, and Hagen crept as far into the thicket 
as he could, and at length he reached a cave, 
where he lay down, completely tired out, and 
fell asleep. 

When he awoke he saw a little girl of about 
his own age looking at him in astonishment. 
He moved himself, that he might see her bet- 
ter, and as he did so she ran away, frightened. 
And no wonder, because his clothes were in 
rags and he was dirty and bleeding after his 
struggle with the birds and his fall among the 
thorns. He followed painfully in the direc- 
tion taken by the girl, and at length found 
her, cowering against the wall at the end of 
the cave, and with her were two other girls. 

They were all terrified by the sight of him, 
but their fears were calmed when he told 
them how he had reached the cave after 
having escaped from the griffin’s nest in so 
miraculous a manner. And when he had 
finished his story they told him theirs, which 
was similar to his own. The girl he had seen 


136 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

when he awoke was an Indian princess, named 
Gerling; the second was Mime, whose home 
was in Spain, and the third had come from 
far-off Iceland. 

The three maidens very carefully nursed 
Hagen, who had received many wounds, and 
before long he was as well and strong as ever. 
His first thought was to provide food for 
them all, and so he made a bow and arrows 
and soon had a supply of small game, which 
he continually replenished. And they grew 
wonderfully strong and hardy, perhaps on 
account of their rough way of living, and 
when Hagen was twelve years old he was 
quite like a grown-up man. 

In the course of time the young griffins were 
big enough to go out and find their own food, 
so that the children had to exercise great care 
and watchfulness, and did not wander about 
as they had been doing. But one day, during 
a heavy storm, Hagen ventured down to the 
seashore, which was not far from the cave. 
The wind howled and lashed the waves to 
fury. It was almost dark as night, but every 
now and then a vivid flash of lightning would 


HAGEN 


137 


reveal the wild and foaming sea as it dashed 
frantically against the rocks, making a din 
almost equal to the pealing of thunder. 

Suddenly he caught sight of a boat struggl- 
ing to reach the land. He was fearful for the 
safety of the crew, because it seemed impos- 
sible for any craft to live in so wild a sea. 
Suddenly the boat struck a rock, and soon it 
was swallowed by the angry waters. 

The next day was calm and beautiful, seem- 
ing to belie the storm of yesterday. Along 
the shore were scattered pieces of the wreck, 
and here and there were bodies which had 
been cast up by the sea. Hagen thought to 
find something useful from the wreckage, and 
was looking along the shore when he heard 
the whirr of the griffin’s wings, and he knew 
that the great birds had scented their prey. 

While the monsters were making their 
horrible meal, Hagen saw the body of a 
drowned man clad in armor, and upon him 
were sword, bow and quiver of steel-pointed 
arrows. The fortunate discovery of these 
arms filled him with joy. He at once put on 

the coat of mail and the helmet, girded him- 
10 


138 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

self with the sword. And just in time he 
picked up the bow and arrows, for the grif- 
fins had caught sight of him. As they swooped 
down he drew the bow with all his strength, 
and the first among the birds fell at his feet, 
dead. A second met with a similar fate and 
the others, which attacked him all at once, he 
slew with the sword. 

He went at once to the maidens in the cave, 
and they rejoiced at his victory. Going with 
him to the shore, they helped him bury the 
body of the dead warrior, and the griffins were 
thrown into the sea. Then they sought for 
provisions that might have come ashore from 
the wreck, but though they found none of 
these, they did discover a box with flint and 
steel, with which they could make a fire. This 
they had been unable to do before, so now 
they were able to feast on cooked food. 

Hagen could now hunt at will. The grif- 
fins were killed, and he had good weapons, 
with which he slew many wild beasts. On 
one of these hunting expeditions he met with 
a curious monster whose body was covered 
with shining scales. He struck it upon the 


HAGEN 


i39 


back with a sharp arrow, but it had no effect, 
neither had a second. He then attempted to 
slay the beast with his sword, but to no pur- 
pose. It was all that he could do to escape 
the monster’s terrible claws, and the struggle 
had almost exhausted him when he saw his 
opportunity and plunged his sword into the 
great open mouth. 

He was overcome with fatigue and sat upon 
the body of the creature. So great was his 
thirst that he drank some of the blood which 
came from the monster’s wounds. Immedi- 
ately strength came to him and a sense of 
power such as he had not known before. He 
would not hesitate now to fight all the wild 
beasts and griffins together. 

The years passed by and no ship came in 
sight. Hagen and his companions were happy 
together, but they longed for the haunts of 
men and women. At length one morning 
Hagen saw the sails of a vessel in the dis- 
tance. He made a great fire, and he saw that 
this signal attracted the attention of those on 
board. A boat was lowered from the ship and 
soon reached the shore. 


140 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

The sailors took them to the ship and Hagen 
told their story to the captain. When he said 
that he was the son of King Sigeband, the 
captain said: “This is fortunate for me, for I 
am Count Garadie, to whom your father has 
done much injury. I will hold you as hostage 
until I receive satisfaction.” Then turning to 
his men, he ordered them to put Hagen in 
chains. 

Hagen became fierce with anger, and seiz- 
ing the sailors who came against him, he threw 
them into the sea; then, with drawn sword, he 
rushed upon the Count, and would have killed 
him, when Gerling laid her hand upon his 
arm. 

Now Gerling possessed a wonderful influ- 
ence over Hagen and there was nothing he 
would not do for her. Besides being beautiful, 
she was always kind and generous. And now, 
at the sight of her gentle face, his rage left 
him. She spoke words of peace to both Hagen 
and the Count, and when Hagen promised to 
see that all should be put right between him 
and his father, the Count agreed to set sail for 
Ireland, and in a few days the walls of the 
King’s castle at Balian came in sight 


HAGEN 


Hi 

Great was the joy of Hagen’s parents when 
they knew that their son whom they had sup- 
posed to be long since dead, had returned to 
them. Peace was made between the King and 
Count Garadie, and great honor was done to 
all. 

Hagen was not content to live quietly in his 
father’s castle; he desired to do things which 
would bring him fame, and soon he became 
known for his knightly deeds. His father was 
old, and as time went on he began to wish for 
peace and quiet rather than the strenuous life 
he had to lead as king, and so he appointed 
Hagen to rule the country in his place. 

His mother wished Hagen to marry and 
settle down, and so he wooed and won the fair 
Gerling, who had been very dear to him ever 
since he had first seen her in the cave. 

About two years after Hagen and Gerling 
were married, the old King and Queen died, 
but before this happened they had the happi- 
ness to hold in their arms a grandchild, who 
was also called Gerling. 

The Princess Gerling grew up to be as good 
and beautiful as her mother, and many knights 


i 4 2 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

sought her hand in marriage. But Hagen 
declared that none should marry his daughter 
who was not able to overcome him in fair 
fight. Many attempted, but met with defeat, 
and it was not until the powerful King of 
Denmark and his warriors had fought a great 
fight with Hagen and his followers that the 
gentle maiden was won. 


KING ROTHER’S MESSENGERS 


I 

The old Italian town of Bari was once a great 
seaport; the harbor was large and full of ship- 
ping and the town itself could boast of many 
palaces and gardens. And here the famous 
King Rother held his court. 

The palace of the King overlooked the sea, 
and one day, as he was seated on his throne, 
there was a troubled look upon his face. He 
turned to his faithful standard-bearer, Duke 
Berchther, and said : “How those waves hold 
their foam-crested heads high in the air, dash 
forward, and become lost as they beat against 
the shore. So it is with all men of the earth, 
kings as well as subjects.” 

“Sire,” cried the Duke, “you are already 
praised in song, and the minstrels will carry 
your fame from generation to generation, and 
your great deeds will cause your name to be 
known forever.” 


143 


144 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

“But what of the present?” said the King. 
“There is but little comfort to me now in what 
may be told in the future. Look at you, with 
all your brave sons in whom you live again, 
and who will love you in your old age. My 
throne is useless to me, for I have no wife or 
child to share it with.” 

“Well,” said the Duke, “why do you not 
marry? You are a famous warrior and still 
young, and might choose any simple maiden 
or great princess you wish for a wife.” 

“I am not free to choose,*” replied the King 
somewhat bitterly, “because rulers are fettered 
by being obliged to marry their equals in 
rank. I have visited many countries, but 
never yet have I seen the princess I could have 
wished to be my consort.” 

“Your Majesty,” said the Duke, “I know a 
princess who would suit you, but to win her 
you would have to risk your life.” 

The King’s curiosity was aroused, and he 
sought for more information. Berchther 
then showed him the picture of a lovely 
maiden, who, he said, was the daughter of the 
Emperor of Constantinople. King Rother 


KING ROTHER’S MESSENGERS 145 

was infatuated with the portrait and swore that 
the original should be his wife. 

Then the Duke explained that the Emperor 
was so devoted to his daughter that he would 
not part with her, and would allow no man, 
however high his station, to woo her, on pain 
of death. 

King Rother then called a meeting of his 
councillors and laid the matter before them, 
saying that he intended to pay court to the 
lady in person. From this course his ministers 
endeavored to dissuade him, pointing out that 
as the head of a great state he had no right to 
run into unnecessary danger. 

There was much debating over the matter, 
and finally it was decided that twelve ambas- 
sadors be appointed to wait upon the Emperor. 
But as each man valued his own life, there was 
considerable discussion as to which twelve 
would risk their safety in the dangerous mis- 
sion. Then Leopold, Berchther’s eldest son, 
said that he and six of his brothers were ready 
to start as soon as a ship could be fitted out; 
and at once five other nobles expressed their 
willingness to go with them. 


146 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

Immediately preparations were made for 
their departure, and soon the day on which 
the twelve ambassadors were to sail arrived. 
As they were about to start, the King sang to 
them a sweet and stirring farewell song which 
moved them greatly, and seemed to say to them 
that the god of battles called upon them to be 
up and doing. And as Rother took leave of 
them he said: “If ever you are in need and 
hear that song, you may know that I am near 
and will help you.” 

The ship set sail, and after a long voyage 
the Golden Horn, which is the port of Con- 
stantinople, was sighted, and soon the travelers 
landed. The twelve were so very handsomely 
dressed that everyone turned to gaxe upon 
them and wondered what puissant prince had 
sent them. 

It was early morning and the Emperor was 
still asleep, when the Empress awoke him and 
said: “The ambassadors of some great king, 
with tidings of importance, await you, and 
must be received with due honor.” 

When Constantin was ready he directed that 
the envoys be brought to him in the throne- 


KING ROTHER’S MESSENGERS 147 

room, and there he received them with great 
courtesy. He was delighted to know that his 
friendship was sought by the doughty king of 
the west, and for a while all was well. But 
when Leopold reached that part of the mes- 
sage in which his royal master commissioned 
him to ask for the hand of the Princess Ada, 
the Emperor’s wrath was great, and he or- 
dered that the foreigners be seized and cast 
into prison 

As soon as the twelve were taken away, Con- 
stantin began to consider in what manner they 
should be put to death. He finally decided 
to have them hanged, as twelve so gorgeously 
attired gentlemen on the gallows would be a 
marvelous spectacle. 

He told the Empress of his intention, but she 
did not agree with such severity. “Is our 
lovely daughter never to marry?” said she. 
“Would it not be well to let her rule the west 
with the great King Rother, as we do the east? 
If you put these messengers to death, most 
certainly will their liege lord seek to avenge 
them, and ally himself with your enemy, the ; 
heathen king of Desert-Babylon, and perhaps 
cause your overthrow.” 


148 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

She then prudently suggested that he hold 
them as hostages, so that his hands might be 
strengthened when King Rother came to de- 
mand them at the head of his army. 

The Emperor was pleased with this counsel, 
and ordered that the prisoners be loaded with 
chains and carefully guarded. 


KING ROTHER’S JOURNEY 


II 

A YEAR passed by without the return of King 
Rother’s ambassadors and all at Bari feared 
for them. None could say whether it had 
been their fate to be overcome by storms at 
sea, or if the tyrant to whom they had been 
sent had caused them to be put to death. 

At last old Berchther went to the King and 
said: “Sire, my heart is heavy with sorrow 
and I can bear this suspense no longer. Of 
my twelve brave sons, Helfrich was slain 
while fighting the barbarians of the north, 
and now seven have gone to Constantinople 
and have not returned. I will go in search 
of them.” 

“You shall not go alone,” returned the King. 
“A meeting of my ministers will say what had 
best be done.” 

So a royal council was called, and a heated 
?49 


150 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

discussion ensued, in which it was decided that 
it would be unwise to send an army against 
Constantinople, because if the twelve mes- 
sengers were still alive they would certainly 
be put to death if an enemy were to appear 
with King Rother at the head. It would be 
the better plan to send a well-appointed em- 
bassage to spy out the land and see if it were 
not possible to save their friends and at the 
same time gain the hand of the Princess. 

Then King Rother said he would place him- 
self at the head of the expedition, and so he 
appointed Count Amelger to be Regent during 
his absence. 

Preparations for their departure were at 
once made, and from all parts of the country 
great nobles offered their services. Among 
those accepted for this service were twelve 
men whom King Rother alone knew. They 
were the giant Osbern and eleven of his tallest 
men. So big and strong were they that it was 
almost impossible to find horses capable of 
bearing their weight. 

At length they set sail, and as the wind 
filled the sheets the King sang so that the 


KING ROTHER’S JOURNEY 151 

hearts of all were filled with thoughts of 
daring deeds. 

Rother called his chiefs about him and told 
them of his cunning plan. He would intro- 
duce himself to Constantin as Dietrich, an 
outlawed noble of King Rother’s country, who 
craved the Emperor’s protection. And that 
they might make no mistake in future, he 
requested that they all call him by his assumed 
name from this time. 

They reached their destination, and “Diet- 
rich” and old Berchther were the first on 
shore. Then followed the others, with the 
giants last. All were appareled in princely 
raiment and with wonderful armor. 

They were well received by the Emperor 
and Empress, but Constantin desired who they 
were and whence they came before granting 
them permission to stay in his country. 

“Mighty ruler of Greece, Hungary and 
Bulgaria,” answered Dietrich, “we come from 
the country of King Rother, where I bore the 
title of duke. There my prowess in battle 
aroused his jealousy, and I was forced to fly 
for my life. I and my vassals have come here 


152 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

as fugitives, and with us we have brought 
great wealth. If you will grant me your pro- 
tection, I promise that you shall be repaid by 
faithful service in the field.” 

“I can see that you are an honest man,” 
replied Constantin, “and you are welcome. I 
feared at first that you had come on an errand 
similar to that of King Rother’s ambassadors, 
who requested the hand of my daughter in 
marriage to their master. They are now 
safely imprisoned under lock and key, and 
had your errand been the same, you would 
suffer a like fate.” 

At this the giant Osbern started forward, 
his hand upon the hilt of his sword. “You 
would have found that a very difficult under- 
taking, my Lord,” said he to the Emperor. 
“We are neither children nor lambs to be im- 
prisoned or slain at the will of any man.” 

The Emperor endeavored to soothe the 
angry giant, and invited his visitors to a feast. 
While they were sitting at the table a tame 
tiger, one of Constantin’s pets, came among 
them and attempted to steal some food that 
Osbern was about to eat. This enraged the 


KING ROTHER’S JOURNEY 153 

giant, who, picking up the powerful beast as 
easily as though it were a cat or a dog, flung 
it against the wall with such force that it was 
killed immediately. 

Constantin wished to have his gigantic guest 
turned out of the banqueting hall, but the 
Empress whispered that care must be taken in 
dealing with so mighty a man, who was not to 
be trifled with, and she added that King 
Rother must, indeed, be a great king to have 
outlawed such men as these. 

The Emperor listened to her in silence. 
Then she said: “I would advise that you free 
the imprisoned envoys and send our daughter 
with them to their country, that she may be- 
come the wife of a powerful king, who may 
become our friend. The two nations together 
would rule the world.” 

Constantin angrily requested her to cease, 
and said that when his mind was once made 
up, nothing on earth could change it. 

Quarters were assigned to Dietrich and his 
followers, and to their new abode the sailors 
transferred the treasures they had brought. 
Many acquaintances did they make, and upon 

11 


154 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

all of these did they shower gifts. Among 
those upon whom they bestowed their bounty 
were Count Helme, and a brave but almost 
penniless warrior named Arnold. 

The latter was touched by the kindness 
Dietrich showed to him, and swore to aid the 
beneficent nobleman whenever it might be in 
his power to do so. 

Much comment was aroused by the gener- 
osity and wealth of Dietrich, especially in the 
royal palace, but none was more curious to 
see the hero of all this talk than the Princess 
Ada. She and her lady-in-waiting, Herlind, 
sought to devise a plan whereby this might 
be brought about, and at last she begged the 
Emperor to appoint a day for games and 
sports which the ladies might attend. 

To this Constantin assented and the procla- 
mation was made. But on the appointed day 
so great a crowd of people gathered around 
Dietrich and those who were in his suite that 
none of the ladies of the court could get even 
a glimpse of him. 

Ada was disappointed, but the following 
day she promised Herlind a golden bracelet if 


KING ROTHER’S JOURNEY 155 

she would contrive a secret meeting between 
her and the stranger. 

Then Herlind went direct to Dietrich’s 
abode and told him frankly what her mistress 
had said. But he would not visit the Princess, 
fearing that the Emperor might hear of it. 
Before Herlind took her leave, however, he 
gave her a golden and a silver shoe. 

Herlind reported the failure of her mission 
to the Princess, who said: “He is truly a 
noble man and cares much for our honor. But 
let me keep the shoes, and in their place I will 
give you as many golden coins as they will 
hold.” 

This quite satisfied Herlind, and she tried 
to fit the shoes to her lady’s feet, but found this 
to be impossible, because both were for the 
same foot. 

This seemed to anger Ada, who requested 
her lady-in-waiting to return the odd shoes to 
Dietrich and to say that she no longer wished 
to see him. 

But Herlind knew that this was but a ruse, 
so she hastened back and told Dietrich that the 
Princess was angry with him, but withal was 


156 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

so curious that she would certainly forgive 
him if he were to take a proper pair of shoes 
with his own hand. So as soon as an oppor- 
tunity to reach unseen that part of the palace 
occupied by her Highness occurred, he seized 
it, and knocked on the door. 

He had never pictured a maiden of such 
beauty as now appeared upon the threshold, 
and he was truly amazed. The Princess, too, 
marveled at his stately and manly bearing, so 
much so that, while she had intended to 
receive him coldly, she merely listened quietly 
to and accepted the explanation he gave for 
not having obeyed her request at once. 

For a time they conversed, during which he 
told her of King Rother’s proposal for her 
hand. And then, by degrees, he disclosed his 
real name and the reason for his presence in 
Constantinople. At last he told her of his 
love, and she promised to be his wife. 

They agreed that on account of the Em- 
peror’s refusal to allow any man to woo her, 
their only opportunity lay in flight. But 
Rother said that before this could happen his 
faithful messengers must be set free. He 


KING ROTHER’S JOURNEY 157 

asked Ada’s help to bring this about, and she 
promised to do her best. 

Next morning the Princess dressed herself 
in mourning, and when her father asked the 
reason for this, she explained it by saying that 
she had had a dreadful dream in the night. 
Her room had appeared to be full of flames, 
and a voice had called to her saying that if 
King Rother’s twelve messengers were not 
released, death would come to her. 

“I will not obey such a command as that,” 
said Constantin. “But if it will make you any 
the happier, I will permit the prisoners to 
have their liberty for a short time, providing 
someone will offer himself as hostage to pre- 
vent any attempt at their escaping.” 

Ada received comfort from this permission, 
for she had settled upon a plan to be carried 
out. 


THE MESSENGERS FREED 


III 

That day, when the Emperor, guests and cour- 
tiers were seated in the dining-hall, Princess 
Ada, followed by her ladies, entered the room. 
Going round the table, she told everyone of 
the condition her father had made in answer 
to her request for the liberation of the twelve 
prisoners. 

“Who,” she asked, “will offer himself as 
hostage for these men?” 

For a time there was silence, and then 
Dietrich arose and offered himself as surety. 
Then the Emperor directed that the twelve be 
brought out of their prison and suitably 
clothed. 

This was done, and the twelve were 
soon seated at a table, with a comforting meal 
before them. They could scarcely persuade 
themselves that they were not dreaming, but 
158 


THE MESSENGERS FREED 159 

suddenly they heard a song to which they 
listened intently. And then their faces ex- 
pressed the joy each one felt, for the song 
they heard was the same that their King had 
sung when they departed from Bari, and 
which assured them that help was at hand. 

The long imprisonment had greatly weak- 
ened them, but as the weeks passed, light, good 
food and exercise quite restored their strength. 
Although they had not been allowed to mingle 
with others, they retained the belief in their 
coming freedom which the King’s song had 
given them. They were not surprised, there- 
fore, when one day the door of their room was 
opened and in came Rother, dressed in full 
armor. 

“You are free,” he cried joyously; but 
before he had finished greeting them, in 
rushed Duke Berchther, who warmly em- 
braced his sons. Behind him were the giant 
Osbern and his inseparable companion Widolt. 

Rother told them all about their voyage and 
how he was known in Constantinople under 
the name of Dietrich. He said that they owed 
their freedom to the Princess Ada, whose love 


160 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


he had won, and that he himself was hostage 
for them. 

But there was more to follow. Constan- 
tin’s country had been invaded by Imelot, 
King of Desert-Babylon, who demanded not 
only the division of the empire, but the hand 
of the Princess Ada for his son Basilistum. 
“The Emperor was at his wits’ end,” went on 
the King, “when I offered our help, provided 
you would be allowed to join us. To this he 
was glad to consent, so now you are free, and 
together we will go to the war. Your arms 
and armor are ready for you.” 

^ ^ ^ ^ <|f 

Very noticeable were Dietrich and his fol- 
lowers among those led by Constantin. Their 
accoutrements were magnificent and they were 
of noble appearance. All were tried and true 
warriors. On the eve of the great battle they 
determined that when both forces were asleep 
they would leave their own camp quietly and 
slip into that of the enemy, whose password 
they had managed to discover. 

At midnight they set out upon their danger- 
ous undertaking. The night was dark, and 


THE MESSENGERS FREED 161 


before long they had reached the tent of King 
Imelot, where the guards were slain before 
they could make any outcry. Then the giant 
Widolt entered the tent, and taking Imelot up 
in his arms as though he were a baby, told him 
to be silent if he valued his life. But the 
giant’s voice was loud enough to awaken 
others who slept near, and soon the camp was 
astir. But the night was so dark that confusion 
ensued. The cry went up that the enemy had 
taken possession of their camp, and soon they 
were in full flight. 

So Dietrich and his companions had won a 
victory, and by early morning they had re- 
turned to their own tents, taking with them 
King Imelot and some of his leaders as pris- 
oners. They had had a night of hard work 
and were glad to get the repose they had 
earned. 

But somehow this night the Emperor Con- 
stantin was uneasy. Usually he arose late, but 
on this occasion he ordered the camp to be 
aroused at an early hour, so that he might 
review his troops. Dietrich and his compan- 
ions were missing. 


1 62 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


The Emperor was suspicious, and went to 
their part of the camp, where all was silence. 
Alighting from his horse, he entered the first 
tent, and there, stretched upon a tiger skin, was 
the giant Widolt, fast asleep, and close by, 
tossing about on a bed of straw, was a man, 
bound hand and foot. 

Constantin dare not wake the giant, so he 
stepped over him very carefully, to see who 
the prisoner was. Imelot, fearing he was 
about to be killed, called out his name and 
offered half his kingdom if his life might be 
spared. And now the giant was aroused. 
Shouting to Dietrich, he sprang up and seized 
his club. 

It is certain that both Constantin and Imelot 
would have lost their lives had not Dietrich 
and some others responded instantly to Wid- 
olt’s call, and reached the tent just in time to 
stay the giant’s hand. 

When Constantin heard what had occurred 
he was filled with admiration for the deeds of 
Dietrich and his companions. He gave a 
banquet in celebration of the victory, and pub- 
licly took all the glory to himself. Dietrich 


THE MESSENGERS FREED 163 

and his men he sent at once to carry the news 
to the Empress. 

* * * % % % # 

The heroes rode gaily back to Constanti- 
nople. They were happy, for Dietrich said 
that they would soon return to Bari. 

To carry out his plan, he decided to pro- 
claim that Imelot had won the battle, and was 
marching against the capital. “Fly and save 
yourselves,” they cried out to the citizens. 
“Imelot’s hordes will soon be upon you.” 
Going at once to the palace, Dietrich begged 
the Empress and her daughter to bring their 
ladies and come on board his ship at once, and 
to take with them anything they valued. 

When they reached the quay, all of Diet- 
rich’s men went at once on board, and then 
followed Ada and Dietrich, her hand trust- 
fully resting on his arm. Then the ship was 
pushed from the shore, leaving the Empress on 
the dock. She entreated to be taken, too, but 
Dietrich then told her that Imelot’s army was 
defeated and the King himself taken prisoner. 
He also told her that he was King Rother, and 
that her daughter Ada would be his queen and 
rule over his country with him. 


1 64 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

The Empress was comforted and gave both 
her blessing. The ship then started on its 
journey to Bari, which was reached after a 
pleasant voyage. There King Rother and the 
Princess Ada were married with pomp and 
ceremony. 


THE CONJURER 


IV 

The Emperor Constantin missed his daughter. 
He was so enraged at King Rother that, had 
he not feared him so much, he would have 
sent an army to Bari in an effort to fetch back 
the Princess. 

When he had returned to Constantinople 
with his victorious army, he found a greatly 
distraught populace, and in the confusion 
King Imelot had escaped to his own country. 
But the loss of his enemy affected him less 
than the flight of his daughter, and he lost 
interest in those things which used to be a 
delight to him. 

He was sitting alone in his room one day 
when a steward announced the arrival in the 
city of a very clever conjurer, who was sure 
to please and amuse the Emperor with his 
marvelous sleight of hand performances. 

165 


1 66 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


Constantin, thinking that the man’s tricks 
might be a pleasing diversion, directed that 
he be brought before him. This was done, 
but although the mountebank performed his 
brightest and most adroit tricks, he did not 
produce even a smile nor a glance of interest 
from his Majesty. Then the man sang a song 
about a woman who had been taken from her 
home by cunning, and at this he did indeed 
take notice. At the conclusion of the song he 
requested the man to approach, and he ques- 
tioned him as to his reason for using these 
particular words. He discovered that his en- 
tertainer not only was aware of all the facts 
concerning the marriage of his daughter and 
King Rother, but that he had a plan for bring- 
ing her back to Constantinople. 

He promised that if the Emperor would 
give him a swift and well-appointed ship, 
fully laden with merchandise, he would return 
with King Rother’s wife. He also said that 
soldiers might be sent with him to see that he 
carried out his bargain, and if he failed, his 
life would be forfeit. 

The Emperor eagerly agreed, and soon the 


THE CONJURER 167 

ship was laden and ready. It was a fast boat, 
fully manned with competent sailors, and in 
addition had a goodly complement of soldiers, 
the latter to see that the terms of the bargain 
were carried out. 

The ship arrived at the port of Bari, where 
the conjurer landed. The King was in a dis- 
tant part of the country, reviewing his troops, 
and during his absence Count Leopold was in 
charge of affairs. This pleased the juggler, 
for he thought it would be easier for him to 
carry out his plans if the King were away from 
the city. 

He returned to his ship and there gave 
exhibitions of his skill, which were witnessed 
by crowds of people. Then he produced his 
wares and offered them for sale. Among 
these was a very ordinary-looking round stone, 
which he handled with great care. He was 
very watchful of this apparently common 
pebble, and would allow no one but himself 
to touch it. 

Of course this excited much curiosity, and 
the people wished to know why he handled it 
as though it were priceless. 


1 68 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


“A ton of diamonds would not be too great 
a price for this little stone,” said he, “for if 
held in the hand of a queen, a touch from it 
upon any man, woman or child who may be 
lame or ill would immediately restore health, 
strength, or perfect limbs.” 

At this one of the listeners sighed heavily. 
“I have four children who have been lame 
from birth,” said he. “I possess great wealth, 
but would willingly give it all if only they 
could be cured.” 

“There is no reason why they should not 
enjoy life as other children do,” said the sham 
merchant. “Ask your good Queen to come on 
board my ship and test the worth of this 
stone.” 

The man went at once to Queen Ada and 
related the story to her. With the kindness 
which had already made her beloved by the 
people, she at once expressed her willingness 
to do anything in her power to cure the chil- 
dren. Starting at once for the vessel, she was 
soon on board. As soon as she had set foot on 
the deck, the landing plank was taken away, 
and the ship started out to sea. 


THE CONJURER 169 

The people standing about the harbor 
seemed bereft of their senses by this act of 
treachery. Leopold was soon upon the scene, 
and as soon as he found out what had hap- 
pened, he tried to find a ship ready to sail, so 
that the robber’s vessel might be pursued at 
once. But there was none available, so that 
nothing could be done except to dispatch a 
swift messenger to King Rother with the news. 

The King returned to Bari at once, and 
decided to lead an army against Constanti- 
nople without loss of time. “As my dear wife 
has been stolen from me by force and cun- 
ning,” he cried, “even so will I win her back.” 

A small army of picked warriors was soon 
assembled, and among them were Osbern and 
the other giants. The ships had been made 
ready, and before long they were in the vicin- 
ity of Constantinople. Rother ordered the 
vessels to be beached in a small bay which was 
surrounded by a dense growth of trees. He 
knew that in this spot there would be no 
fear of discovery, because the people of this 
country had unutterable dread of this wood, 
which they held to be filled with supernatural 

12 


170 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

monsters. He ordered his men to encamp 
here, while he, the Duke of Meran and Count 
Leopold went on to the city, disguised as pil- 
grims. 

Before they started Count Wolfrat gave the 
King a small horn which had so shrill a sound 
when blown that it could be heard for miles. 
Osbern said that as soon as they heard it, all 
would come to their help with weapons ready. 

The three pilgrims started out on their 
adventure, and on the road they met a knight 
in full armor. They asked him if he could 
give them news of events at Constantinople. 

“Only bad news,” answered he. “The 
Greeks have stolen the fair wife of King 
Rother, and the Emperor has promised her to 
the cruel Basilistum, son of King Imelot. 
When Imelot escaped from Constantinople he 
gathered together a great army and again 
invaded Constantin’s land. He defeated the 
forces of the Emperor and took him prisoner, 
and he now demands the half of his territory 
and the Princess Ada for his cub of a son, 
who is to remain in Constantinople after the 
wedding, so that the Emperor may not be 


THE CONJURER 171 

deprived of his daughter’s society. The Chris- 
tians of this country are now in fear and 
trembling on account of the cruel persecutions 
which are sure to follow. If only King Rother 
would come here now! And all that I have I 
owe to his generosity; he gave me the armor 
and weapons I am now wearing, and also this 
noble horse. Besides these, he gave me a thou- 
sand gold pieces, for I had lost all my lands 
and wealth through fraud. As sure as my 
name is Arnold, if King Rother were only 
here now, I would join him with all the men 
I could raise.” 

Then Rother told Arnold who he was, and 
truly he was thankful that his act of kindness 
had won such gratitude. He told Arnold 
something of his plan, and asked him to join 
his own men in the haunted wood. This he 
promised to do forthwith. 

When the three reached Constantinople 
they found the city to be very gay. There 
was much feasting, and the followers of Con- 
stantin and Imelot were entertaining one an- 
other. Constantin was joyful now that his 
daughter was to remain in the city, and so 


i 7 2 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

peace and concord reigned. The banquet-hall 
was filled, and the ugly, hunch-backed bride- 
groom-to-be sat between his father and the 
Emperor, and close by were the sorrowing 
Ada and her equally sad mother. The people 
were invited to watch the proceedings through 
wide-open doors, so that the three pilgrims 
were easily able to enter without attracting 
attention. Much laughter was caused by the 
bragging of the two rulers, and Basilistum, 
who boasted that they would hang King 
Rother and his giants if they should venture 
within the country. 

During all this talk Rother managed to slip 
into his wife’s hand a ring which she knew to 
be his. She at once felt comforted and showed 
it to her mother. 

But the act of passing the ring to her mother 
was noticed by Basilistum. He seized the 
ring, and saw that Rother’s name was en- 
graved upon it. 

Springing up from his chair, he cried out: 
“Rother is here! Seek him and hold him in 
custody.” 

Then there was much confusion. Swords 


THE CONJURER 173 

were drawn, chairs and tables were over- 
thrown, and there was shouting on all sides. 

Amidst all this disorder Rother stepped 
forward, and in a loud voice said : “I am King 
Rother, and am here to claim my wife, and 
if King Imelot or his son see fit to deny my 
right, I am ready to prove it with my sword.” 

At this Imelot laughed. “We do not fight 
with poor little kinglets such as you,” he cried. 
“You shall be hanged.” 

Then he continued: “Seize him and his 
companions and bind them tight, and away 
with them to the gallows.” 

The three heroes had no weapons with 
which to defend themselves, and although 
many of those present had cause to remember 
the munificence of Dietrich (as he had been 
known to them), no hand was raised to their 
aid. They were soon seized and bound. 

“A king who has proved himself on the 
battle-field does not fear death,” said Rother. 
“As Constantin has often caused innocent men 
to meet with a shameful end in the haunted 
wood, let the executioner now complete his 
work there.” 


174 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

This idea appealed to Constantin and 
Imelot, and the latter said: “There are gal- 
lows there ready, and very fit to hang these 
men upon. And at night the monsters of the 
wood may make merry with their bodies. All 
shall see how the great Imelot revenges him- 
self upon his enemies.” 

In a short time all was ready for the 
execution, and the prisoners, accompanied by 
a great throng of people curious to witness the 
punishment of a crowned ruler, were taken to 
the haunted wood, where Rother and his com- 
panions were conducted to the gallows. 

There the executioner quietly expressed to 
King Rother his sorrow for what he was 
ordered to do, and reminded him of certain 
kind treatment he had received from him 
during his previous visit, and as a mark of 
gratitude he would substitute a silken rope in 
place of the common hemp which would have 
to be used in the case of his two friends. He 
added that never in his life had he done any- 
thing he so much hated to do. 

Then Rother asked him if he would loosen 
his hands for a moment or two, that he might 
pray. 


THE CONJURER 175 

“I will do that willingly,” replied the man, 
“and I will also pray with you.” 

As he spoke he loosed the King’s hands, and 
then Rother withdrew from his pilgrim’s 
cloak the horn which he had kept concealed 
there. As loudly as he could, he sounded it 
three times. 

King Imelot was very impatient at the 
delay and threatened the executioner with 
death himself if he did not at once proceed 
with his task. This frightened the man, who 
began to bind Rother’s hands again. 

At this moment much shouting was heard 
behind them. The noise came from Rother’s 
warriors and from Arnold, who had joined 
them with his men, and now they all rushed 
to the rescue. A short but sharp battle en- 
sued, in which Imelot, his son Basilistum and 
many of their followers were slain, and their 
army was soon in full flight. 

The victorious Rother now sought the Em- 
peror, but as soon as the battle commenced 
Constantin had fled to his palace, where he 
hid himself in the apartments of his wife and 
daughter. His courage was gone, and he 


176 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

begged them to save him from the wrath of 
Rother and his giants. 

Ada and her mother, with all their numer- 
ous attendants, went out to meet King Rother, 
and hidden in their midst was Constantin. It 
happened that the first people they met were 
the giants, and alhough the Emperor was 
careful to conceal himself, Osbern’s eagle eye 
spied him, and stretching out his long arm, 
pulled him right over the head of the Em- 
press, holding him by the scruff of his neck. 

Widolt was about to kill him with his club, 
but Osbern stayed his hand, and said that he 
should be hanged instead. 

Very soon Rother and his army came up to 
them, and the first thing the King did was to 
release and pardon the Emperor. Now that 
he had recovered his wife, he had only good 
will for all. So they returned to the palace 
and a great banquet was spread, and it was 
seen that Constantin had quite recovered his 
appetite. 

Rother had now won the Eastern empire, 
but he left the country under the rule of 
Constantin, as his regent. As soon as was 


THE CONJURER 


177 


possible, he and Queen Ada set sail for Bari, 
and for many years they lived happily and 
governed their people together. 


LORD BEICHAN AND THE MOOR’S 
DAUGHTER 


Lord Beichan, a young noble of high degree, 
soon tired of the gay life at the English court. 
He longed to visit other parts of the world, so 
he fitted out a vessel and set sail. 

He voyaged for many months, going from 
one country to another, and at last he reached 
Turkey. Here he was taken prisoner by a 
savage infidel, and as young Beichan refused 
to worship Mahomet, he was cruelly treated. 
Yokes were put on his shoulders and he was 
made to pull carts and wagons. 

The hardships he underwent made him sick 
almost unto death, but still he remained true 
to his own faith. Then he was cast into a 
noisome dungeon, where for seven long years 
he suffered from cold and hunger. In his cell 
he was chained hand and foot, and in such 
misery was he that he wished he could die. 

178 


THE MOOR’S DAUGHTER 179 

The savage Moor who held the young man 
prisoner had a daughter named Sophia, who 
resembled her father in nothing. He was full 
of evil, while she was fair, gentle, good, and of 
extreme beauty. Every day she walked past 
young Beichan’s prison, and she sorrowed 
greatly for the helpless captive. 

One day she heard him singing a sad song 
and the words rangs in her ears and she could 
not forget them. This is how they ran : 

“My hounds they all go masterless, 

My hawks they fly from tree to tree; 

My younger brother will have my land; 

My native shore I’ll never see!” 

That night the Moor’s daughter slept not at 
all for thinking of this song, and very early 
in the morning, as soon as the day began to 
dawn, she crept into her father’s room and 
took the keys from under his pillow as he lay 
asleep. Then she went to the prison, and giv- 
ing some gold to the warder, prevailed upon 
him to open the gate. The keys to the inner 
rooms were among those she had taken from 
under her father’s pillow, and many doors did 


180 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


she have to unlock before reaching the cell in 
which the young lord was chained. 

He was asleep when she entered, but he 
awakened at once and looked up at her won- 
deringly, thinking at first that an angel had 
come to him, so beautiful was she. 

A smile was upon his face when he awoke, 
and this seemed strange to her until he said 
that he had dreamed he was at home in his 
own country. 

The maid said to him: “What reward will 
you give to the lady who should set you free 
from prison?” 

Young Beichan answered: “I have great 
lands and many castles in my own country and 
I would willingly give them all to the lady 
who would set me free.” 

“Will you promise me that for seven years 
you will wed with none unless it be with me?” 
asked the Moor’s daughter. 

“I will give you my troth, and give it freely, 
for the sake of your kindness,” answered he. 

The gentle maiden then freed the young 
man from his chains, and when they had 
reached the outer door of the prison, she 


THE MOOR’S DAUGHTER 181 


bribed the warden to unlock the gate, and 
they were free. She gave Beichan food and 
drink, and bade him sometimes to think of her 
who had freed him from captivity. 

She told him of the song that had dwelt in 
her memory, and vowed that for seven years 
she would not wed with any other man if he 
would vow to marry no other woman. Then 
she took a ring from her finger, and breaking 
it in two, gave half of it to Beichan, and asked 
him to keep it as a reminder of her love for 
him. 

Then she saw him safely on board a ship 
bound for his own country, and as Lord 
Beichan turned to give her his last greeting, 
he said: 

“Fair Lady Sophia, before seven years have 
passed I will come for you and take you to 
my own home.” 

In due time he reached the shores of Eng- 
land, and there the fame of his adventures 
spread, and all the ladies thronged about the 
traveler who had escaped from slavery. His 
homecoming was not free from sorrow, how- 
ever, for his mother and all his brothers had 


182 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


passed away during his absence; his lands had 
gone to waste, and his houses and castles were 
in ruins. 

But he was rich, and soon the lands and 
castles were in repairs, and with the cheerful 
company of gay friends, the time passed 

quickly and pleasantly. 

* * * * * * * 

For the Moorish maiden across the sea the 
time dragged. Always she thought of the 
young lord, and so little rest did she get that 
she grew very sick. A voice seemed to say to 
her: “The one you love has broken his vow.” 

At length the seven long years were gone 
and she could bear the suspense no longer. 
Boarding a ship, she sailed away in search of 
her lover, and in time reached the pleasant 
land of England. There she saw a shepherd 
tending his sheep, and asked him if he could 
give her news of Lord Beichan. 

“The most wonderful news, fair lady,” said 
he. “In yonder castle has been feasting for 
three and thirty days, and a wedding is to 
follow. But it is said that the young Lord 
Beichan loves one who is beyond the sea and 
keeps aloof from the bride.” 


THE MOOR’S DAUGHTER 183 

“You give me good news!” cried Sophia, 
and she astonished the shepherd by filling his 
hands with gold and silver. 

She went to the castle and rang the bell. 
The porter came, and Sophia asked if the 
noble lord were within. 

“Yes,” answered the porter, who was quite 
dazzled by the beauty of this maiden. “He 
is in the hall, where there is much company, 
for to-day he is to be married.” 

Then she gave to the porter the half of the 
broken ring, telling him to give it to the bride- 
groom, with the love of the lady who freed 
him from captivity. 

The porter hastened to the presence of Lord 
Beichan, and there, upon his bended knee, he 
said: “For three and thirty years I have been 
porter at your gates, but never have my eyes 
beheld a lady so fair as one who stands at them 
now. And on each finger she has a ring, and 
on the middle one three, and her head is 
crowned with hair of shining gold.” 

At this the bride’s mother spoke out angrily: 
“Never so fair a lady you have seen before! 
You must except our bonny bride.” 


1 84 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

“Madam,” said the porter, “your daughter 
is very fair, but this lady is ten times fairer 
than your daughter ever was.” Then to Lord 
Beichan he gave the broken ring, saying that 
with it was the love of the lady who freed him 
from captivity. 

Up sprang Lord Beichan in great haste, 
knocking over a table in his eagerness. Down 
the stairs he rushed, and at the gate he clasped 
his love in his arms. 

“Have you forgotten one who gave you lib- 
erty, and taken another bride?” asked the 
Moor’s daughter, turning away her head to 
hide the tears in her eyes. 

“Never!” cried Lord Beichan. “Never will 
I wed any one but you, who have done and 
endured so much for me.” 

Then he took her by the hand and led her 
through his stately halls, welcoming her to her 
own. 

To the bride who was to have been he gave 
a double dower, and sent her and her mother 
to their home in a chariot drawn by three 
horses. 

With the Moor’s daughter he went to the 


THE MOOR’S DAUGHTER 185 

fountain in the court of the castle, and there 
she was baptized, and her name changed from 
Sophia to “his bonny Lady Jane.” 

Then the cooks prepared a great feast, and 
heralds were sent through the town to invite 
all the people to the wedding, which was cele- 
brated with great ceremony. And the happy 
Lord Beichan said he would wander no more 
through foreign countries, for his own true 
love had crossed the seas to come to him. 

13 


HENGEST AND HORSA 


VORTIGERN was a crafty man. He was steward 
of Britain under King Constantin, a ruler who 
possessed great wisdom and had won the love 
and good will of his people. This steward 
was filled with a desire for power and riches, 
but with this wise king upon the throne, there 
was a limit beyond which he dare not go. So 
he schemed and plotted to get rid of Con- 
stantin, and at length bribed a number of 
Scottish Piets to slay him. 

He brought these Piets to Winchester, 
where the King held his court, and one night 
let them into the royal chamber by a secret 
entrance, and there they killed the King in his 
sleep. 

As soon as he had admitted the men to the 
King’s room, Vortigern left them, and after a 
few minutes had passed he roused the guard, 
and saying that he had heard a cry from the 
King, he led them at once to the scene of the 
1 86 


HENGEST AND HORSA 187 

murder. The angry soldiers at once slew 
everyone of the Piets, so that there was no 
witness left against the wily Vortigern. 

There was great sorrow among the people 
when they heard of the King’s death, and 
vengeance was vowed upon the Pictish tribes, 
with whom the people of the north were fre- 
quently at war. 

Now Constantin had three sons, but all of 
them were too young to reign, so Vortigern 
persuaded the councillors of the kingdom to 
make him Regent until the eldest of the 
princes should become sixteen years of age, 
when he should assume the reins of govern- 
ment. 

So Vortigern, the traitor, ruled the country, 
and in time he found ways of getting rid of 
the young princes, one of whom was slain and 
the other two imprisoned in a remote part of 
the country. But although he was now king, 
his life was not an easy one. He was harsh 
and oppressive to his subjects, who were con- 
sequently rebellious; and he was constantly 
troubled by the Piets, who sought revenge for 
the death of their kinsmen. So that, although 


188 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


his ambition for power had been realized, he 

was far from happy. 

* * * * * * * 

One day news was brought to Vortigern 
that several strange ships, containing many 
men, had anchored off Ebbsfleet, near the 
mouth of the River Thames. He sent mes- 
sengers to the visitors, asking their business, 
and if they came in peace. They sent back 
word that their visit was peaceful, and that 
they would like to have speech with the King. 

The leaders were invited to Vortigern’s 
court, and after welcoming them, he asked 
them upon what mission they were, and 
whence they had come. 

“Sire,” said the commander, “we are knights 
from Saxony. I am Hengest and this is my 
brother Horsa. Our country is rich, but over- 
populous, and we desire to take service with 
you.” 

At this Vortigern was greatly pleased, for 
he thought that these men from across the sea 
would be of great help to him against the 
Piets. So he accepted their offer and received 
them with much favor. 


HENGEST AND HORS A 189 

Soon after this the Piets again invaded the 
north, so Vortigern sent Hengest and Horsa 
against them. The Saxons were victorious and 
drove the Piets out of Britain. 

When they returned to the court, Vortigern 
treated them with greater regard than he did 
his own knights, and this naturally caused 
jealousy. 

Hengest himself was ambitious for power, 
so he tried to strengthen his position with the 
King by turning him against his own people. 
He made him believe that the Britons were 
ready to rebel, and offered to safeguard his 
hold on the throne by sending for more men 
from Saxony who would fight for him. In 
return for this service, he must have a royal 
castle and the King should marry his daughter 
Rowena. 

This plan pleased Vortigern. But although 
he was willing to marry Rowena, he could not 
give Hengest the castle he asked for, as that 
would certainly make the people rebel. Then 
Hengest shrewdly asked for as much land as 
could be covered by the hide of a bull. 

The King thought this a foolish request and 


1 9 o THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


did not hesitate to agree to it. So Hengest 
sent to Saxony for more warriors, and then, 
taking the hide of a huge bull, sought a place 
which would seem good to him, and where he 
might spread it. When he had found a place 
that pleased him he laid the hide on a board, 
and with a sharp knife cut it into narrow strips 
about the thickness of a piece of string. These 
strips, laid end to end, enclosed a large tract 
of land, and upon this he built a great castle. 

Hengest’s wife and daughter and the fight- 
ing men for whom he had sent had arrived in 
Britain, and were living on the piece of land 
which was now his. Hengest invited Vor- 
tigern to a banquet in their honor, and in the 
midst of the revelry Rowena and the King 
were married. 

Soon after this Vortigern invited all the 
knights in the land to a feast, but none of the 
Britons would go to it. Then the wily Hengest 
suggested that his son Aesc, and Ebissa, his 
son-in-law, should come to Britain, together 
with all the warriors they could gather to- 
gether, and defend Vortigern against his 
enemies. To this the King agreed, and before 


HENGEST AND HORSA 191 

long so large an army of Saxons landed that 
the fighting men among the Britons were out- 
numbered. 

His own knights were alarmed at this and 
asked the King to send the Saxons away. But 
he would not listen to them, saying that 
Rowena was his wife and the others his guests, 
and that he would not tell them to go. 

Then the Britons refused to acknowledge 
him as their ruler, and going to London, held 
a great meeting to decide upon what should 
be done. 

Vortigern had been married before, and had 
a son named Vortimer, a loyal Briton, who 
hated the Saxons. He came to the meeting, 
and there the people made him their king. 
He at once sent to Hengest and Horsa, bidding 
them leave the country or suffer death. 

To this Vortimer received a defiant reply, 
and immediately he began to gather together 
a great army. Soon, at the head of thirty 
thousand men, he marched against the forces 
of Vortigern and Hengest, which numbered 
sixty thousand. Then was fought the battle 
of Aylsford, in which Horsa was slain. The 


i 9 2 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

fighting on both sides was very stubborn, but 
at last the Britons, who in Vortimer had a 
great leader, prevailed, and the Saxons were 
put to flight. 

Two more fierce combats took place before 
the Saxons were finally defeated, and of the 
sixty thousand warriors, only ten thousand 
escaped to their ships and returned to their 
own land. 

And now joy and content came to the land. 
The people were proud of their young king, 
who ruled wisely and well, and under his 
guidance they lived in peace and prosperity. 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 


St. George, the patron saint of England, was 
born in Cappadocia, a province of Asia 
Minor, in the month of April, 303 A.D. His 
parents were Christians, and as soon as he was 
able he enlisted as a soldier in the army of the 
Emperor Diocletian. He was so brave and 
showed so much ability, that at a very early 
age he was given the rank of Tribune. 

His duty called him to England, where his 
headquarters was established in the city of 
Coventry. Here he dwelt long enough to be 
known and loved throughout the country. 

Whilst he was abiding at Coventry, the 
Christians were fighting the Saracen Turks. 
He was a true Christian, and their cause 
appealed to him so much that he gave up his 
high position in the Roman army, and went 
to join those of his faith who were so bravely 
Striving to recover the Holy Sepulchre. 

193 


i 9 4 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

So he took ship, and landing in France, 
journeyed through the Lowlands, Germany, 
and Hungary, until he reached the forces of 
the Crusaders, on the border of Asia Minor. 

There, in many battles, he bore himself so 
bravely that he won respect even of the Sara- 
cens, who called him “The White-horsed 
Knight,” from the fact that he was always 
mounted on a white horse. 

In the course of time he visited the land of 
Egypt, and as he was in the province ruled by 
the King Ptolemy, whose capital was the city 
of Selem, he started out to visit the court of 
the King. 

It was hard traveling across the desert, but 
his white horse Bucephalus bore him bravely. 
Often during the wearisome toil through the 
burning sands did he wish he were at Coven- 
try, with the friends he knew so well. But he 
kept on, and in time came to a hut, beside 
which an aged hermit was standing. 

The old man stood in his path, and holding 
out his arms, begged him to go no further. 
St. George asked him why he called on him to 
halt. 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 195 

“Sir Knight,” said the hermit, “you are 
entering upon a land of mourning and tribu- 
lation.” 

“It is my task,” said St. George, “to aid 
those who are in trouble. Tell me what sor- 
row has befallen the people of this country?” 

“Sir Knight,” said the old man, “for twenty 
years a fearful and loathly dragon has ravaged 
this realm. Whence he came, no one knows. 
With his poisonous breath and dangerous 
claws he has destroyed men, women, and cat- 
tle, and for some time past it has been his habit 
each day to devour a maiden. And now, in 
all the kingdom, there is left but one suitable 
damsel, and that is the king’s daughter, Sabra, 
whom all love. When she is gone what will 
become of us all? If only some knight might 
slay the dragon before the Princess be sacri- 
ficed, the King will give her to him in mar- 
riage, and make him heir to the throne.” 

“I seek no reward,” said St. George, “but I 
will make an attempt to slay the dragon and 
save the Princess.” 

“Many knights have said the same thing,” 
said the hermit, “and now their bones may be 
seen in the valley.” 


196 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

“I am a Christian knight,” said St. George, 
“and will do my best to kill the dragon, even 
though so many have failed. Let me but rest 
in your hut to-night, and in the morning you 
shall guide me to the lair of this noisome 
beast.” 

He would not be dissuaded from his pur- 
pose, so that night he rested in the hermit’s 
hut, and early the next morning the old man 
took him to the edge of the valley. To enter 
this he had to go down a steep slope, through 
a dark wood, and his horse had great difficulty 
in picking its way. Having passed safely 
through the wood, he reached the foot of the 
slope, and there he saw a most beautiful 
maiden, dressed in pure white silk, bound to a 
tree. 

Immediately he drew his sword and cut her 
bonds, and she, surprised at his appearance, 
asked him who he was. 

“Princess,” said he, “I hope to slay this 
dragon, and now will you hasten to your father 
and tell him as soon as my task is accomplished 
I will pay my respects to him at his court.” 

At this moment a terrific roar was heard, 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 197 

and the echo sounded like thunder in the 
valley. 

The Princess Sabra trembled, but she tried 
to persuade the knight to forsake his self- 
imposed task, telling him that many had 
already perished in a similar attempt. 

“There is no task so great that I would not 
undertake it to save you,” answered St. George. 

“Then,” said she, “I will pray that victory 
may be yours, and that you will return safely 
to me, and with honor.” 

At his desire she went up the hill, at the 
top of which she turned, waved her hand at 
him, and then went with all haste to her 
father’s palace. 

She found the King and his court to be dis- 
consolate and miserable. Ptolemy was sure 
that his beloved daughter was lost to him, and 
not only that, but all knew that no other 
suitable maiden was left to offer to the dragon, 
and they were oppressed by the thought of 
what it might do to them if its wrath were not 
appeased by the usual offering. 

Prince Almidor, son of the Emperor of 
Morocco, who was a suitor for the hand of 


198 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

Princess Sabra, and who was at the court of 
King Ptolemy, suggested that the King and his 
court mount swift horses and camels, and start 
at once for his father’s country, saying that 
there an army of knights could be found who 
would deal with the dragon, should he dare to 
follow them. 

The Princess Sabra refused to consider this, 
saying that a Christian knight was even now 
doing battle for her and her country, and that 
it would ill become them to flee and leave 
him. 

Prince Almidor sneered at this, saying: 
“Many knights have already attempted to slay 
the dragon, but all have met with defeat. Why 
should this man be sure of victory?” 

The Princess shamed him, saying that this 
was no ordinary knight, but one who knew 
not fear, and who would not flee to another 
country, as the Prince of Morocco wished 
to do. 

“We will wait,” said the King; “and while 
I fear that this brave knight will meet with a 
fate similar to the others, we can be no worse 
off if we await the issue of the contest.” 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 199 

So they stayed, and then Prince Almidor 
remembered that Ptolemy had promised the 
Princess in marriage to the knight who should 
slay the dragon, and he thought if this Chris- 
tian champion should win the battle, he might 
not gain the hand of the Princess Sabra. 

When the beautiful damsel left St. George, 
he set spurs to his horse and rode swiftly in 
the direction of the dragon’s lair, his spear in 
rest, and his sword loosed in its scabbard. And 
on his shield was blazoned the red cross of 
England. 

It needed a doughty spirit to ride across the 
valley, for all around were the bones of the 
knights who had been killed by the horrible 
beast, and here and there could be seen broken 
swords and spears, and rusty armor. 

The roaring of the dragon, which was 
enough to make one’s blood run cold, made 
the white steed quiver, but St. George never 
flinched from his duty. Suddenly the monster 
came forth from its cave. It stood as high as 
a man on horseback and had a body covered 
with hard, shiny scales. It breathed from its 
nostrils a hot, poisonous vapor, and the beating 


200 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


of its wings made a noise which echoed 
through the valley like thunder. 

St. George gripped his spear firmly and 
galloped towards the awful thing. Soon they 
met, and it was as though his weapon had met 
with a wall of steel. The shaft of his spear 
broke with the shock, and both horse and rider 
reeled, and St. George fell from his horse. 
The onslaught had been so severe that the 
dragon had recoiled, and only this saved the 
knight from the dragon’s feet. 

The Christian knight again mounted his 
white horse Bucephalus, and drawing his 
sword, once more dashed against the dragon. 
This time he pierced the monster’s throat, and 
from the wound spurted a most noxious and 
deadly venom, which almost overcame him. 

The dragon, now seemingly assured of 
another victim, raised its wings and heaved 
itself up, in order that it might fall upon horse 
and rider and crush them. It was a perilous 
moment for St. George, but at this moment he 
saw, underneath one of the wings, a place not 
covered by the scales, but which looked as 
though it were just a covering of skin. 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 201 


He immediately urged his horse to this 
spot, and putting his whole strength into the 
thrust, reached the aimed-for point, and his 
sword entered the dragon’s heart, and with a 
thud the awful creature slowly sank to the 
earth and died. Then the conqueror severed 
its head from its body. 

St. George had won the fight. He was sore 
and wearied, but he had done a knightly deed 
and had freed a country from bondage. Still 
his work was not yet finished. 

The Prince of Morocco, jealous of the feel- 
ing shown toward St. George by the King’s 
daughter, had sent several of his retainers to 
ambush and kill the champion, in case he 
should be successful in his fight with the 
dragon, although he did not think this pos- 
sible. But he had resolved to win the hand of 
the Princess by foul means if not by fair, and 
if the white-horsed knight were out of the way, 
he felt that there would be no obstacle to his 
suit. It was an act of great treachery, and had 
the Prince’s men been in charge of a real 
leader, St. George would certainly have been 

overcome by the odds against him. 

14 


202 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


Now, either these men were somewhat 
shamed by the task given them, or they made 
too light of it, as they were many against one. 
At any rate, they were not too careful in hiding 
themselves from the rays of the sun, which 
glistened upon their armor, and so put St. 
George upon his guard. As a good soldier he 
used his instinct, and this bade him be wary. 
He knew that something behind the trees 
caused the reflections, and so had his sword 
ready before ascending the slope from the 
valley in which he had defeated and killed the 
dragon. 

St. George set spurs to Bucephalus, and 
galloped up the hill. Before long, two of the 
men in ambush sprang upon him, and with one 
sweep of his sword, both their heads fell from 
their shoulders. From behind the next tree 
two more men dashed upon him, and met a 
similar fate. 

And now he had need of all his skill, for 
the rest of them, twelve in number, rushed 
upon him. But the trees which before had 
sheltered them gave St. George the advantage, 
because they could not reach him in a body, 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 203 

and having to come upon him one or two at a 
time, he soon disposed of all who came within 
the length of his sword. Of the attackers but 
one escaped, and he fled to his master, Prince 
Almidor, bearing the news that the dragon 
was slain by a knight who was invincible, and 
who overcame with his sword all who fought 
against him. 

St. George sheathed his weapon, and with 
the head of the dragon at his saddle-bow, he 
rode in the direction of the city. 

Before long he was met by a throng of 
people, at whose head were King Ptolemy and 
the Princess Sabra. St. George bowed before 
them, and holding up the head of the dragon, 
he said: “Hail, King! To you I bring a 
gift.” 

“There is no gift that could bring greater 
happiness to this country,” answered the King. 
“Return with us to the city, and when we have 
feasted I will grant any boon you may ask of 
me.” 

Ptolemy then ordered that the dragon’s 
head be set upon a lance and carried before 
them, and so, to the joyful strains of music, 


204 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

they returned to the city. At the royal palace 
richly furnished rooms were set apart for St. 
George, and apparel from the King’s own 
wardrobe given him. 

A great banquet was held, and at its close 
the King said: “Sir George of England, I 
have decreed that to the knight who should 
save this land from ruin by slaying the dragon 
shall be given the hand of the Princess Sabra 
in marriage.” 

St. George said: “O King, if the Princess 
be willing, I will wed her, but not against her 
will.” 

The King turned to his daughter and asked 
if she would accept the champion as a hus- 
band, and the Princess replied: “I will be his 
wife.” And they were duly betrothed. 

But many months passed before St. George 
and the beautiful Princess Sabra were mar- 
ried. The jealous Prince Almidor made many 
attempts to destroy his rival, and for a time he 
poisoned the mind of the King against the 
champion, who, he said, was plotting to seize 
the throne. The King had St. George thrown 
into prison, where he was cruelly treated. 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 205 

But in the end the love of the Princess pre- 
vailed, and she caused him to see Prince 
Almidor as he really was. So St. George was 
released, and finally they were married and 
returned to Coventry, where was born to them 
a son, who, when he grew up, was renowned 
as Guy of Warwick. 


ROBIN HOOD AND KING RICHARD 

King Richard and many of his knights were 
staying at the city of Nottingham, near which 
was the royal park of Plompton, where there 
had been kept many a herd of deer. But now 
they hunted with little success, for hardly a 
stag of any size could be found. Robin Hood 
and his band of outlaws had shot them, and 
the King was greatly angered. He swore to 
arrest both the bold archer and his friend, Sir 
Richard-of-the-Lea, who was hiding from the 
law, and under the protection of Robin. 

For more than a month did the King dwell 
at Nottingham, but Robin was like a will-o’- 
the-wisp. He shot the deer just as he pleased, 
but never could he be seen. 

One day a forester appeared before the 
King and offered to lead him and half a dozen 
of his knights to where Robin could be found, 

206 


ROBIN HOOD 


207 

but he bade them disguise themselves in the 
garb of monks. 

Then the King and his knights dressed 
themselves in monks’ robes, and followed their 
guide. Richard was singing gaily, for here 
was that for which he was always ready — an 
adventure. 

They reached the edge of the forest, and 
there was Robin Hood, and with him were 
many of his men. The King wore the broad 
hat of an abbot over his cowl, and so Robin 
caught hold of his horse’s bridle and said: 
“Sir Abbot, for the sake of charity, give us 
some of your riches.” 

The supposed Abbot replied : “I have but 
fifty pounds with me. For four weeks I have 
been staying at Nottingham with the King, 
and have spent my money; but what I have 
you may take.” 

Then Robin took the fifty pounds and gave 
half the sum to his men; the other half he 
returned to the Abbot, saying: “Sir Abbot, I 
will not despoil you of all your wealth. We 
shall meet again, when you may be more 
heavily burdened with gold.” 


208 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


The Abbot thanked him for returning half 
the money, and asked him to visit Nottingham 
with him, promising that there he should dine 
with the King himself. 

To this Robin replied : “There is no man I 
love as I do my King, but to-day you must 
dine with me under my trysting-tree.” 

With this he blew his horn, and immedi- 
ately eight score young men appeared from 
the forest, and bowed before him. 

The Abbot and his monks were then con- 
ducted to the trysting-tree, beneath which was 
spread a feast of fat venison, white bread, wine 
and brown ale. 

Robin cried : “Welcome, Sir Abbot! After 
we have feasted, you shall see the kind of life 
we live here, and this you shall tell to the 
King.” 

Then the yeomen of the greenwood bent 
their bows and sent their arrows so near the 
King that he feared he would be shot. Their 
skill astounded him. 

After this, targets of flowers were set up, 
and in the center of each was a rose. And 
Robin said that whoever should fail to hit the 


ROBIN HOOD 


209 

rose should lose his bow and arrows, and also 
receive a blow upon his bare head. 

Several missed the mark and received the 
promised buffet. Robin himself shot three 
times and hit the rose, but the next arrow 
missed by a finger’s breadth, whereupon Little 
John cried out: “Master, you lose your bow 
and arrows. Now stand up and take your 
blows.” 

Then Robin said to the King: “Sir Abbot, I 
give you my bow and arrows, and I beg you 
to give me my blow.” 

The King replied: “Nay, I cannot smite so 
brave a yeoman.” 

But Robin insisted and told him to strike as 
hard as he could. 

At this the King rolled back his sleeve, and 
Robin received such a buffet that he was felled 
to the ground, and for a few moments he lay 
there, seeing myriads of stars. When he came 
to himself he said : “I thought there was but 
one in all England able to deliver such a 
blow.” Then he looked closely at the Abbot, 
and in him recognized the King. He fell upon 
his knees and cried: “King Richard, now I 


zio THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


know you. I ask pardon for Sir Richard-of- 
the-Lea, my men and myself.” 

“It is granted, Robin Hood,” said the King, 
“provided you and your archers will leave the 
greenwood, and come to London with me and 
enter my service.” 

“Right gladly will we,” said Robin. “But 
if I do not like your service, I shall return 
again to Sherwood and shoot the deer as I 
have done.” 

This was agreed upon, and then the King 
asked Robin if he had green cloth. When it 
was brought the King and his knights put on 
the Lincoln green in place of their monks’ 
robes, and all set off for Nottingham. 

When they reached the city the people saw 
all the green cloaks and feared their King was 
slain. But Richard laughed at this, and 
ordered that his return with Robin Hood be 
celebrated with feast and revelry, and he 
caused great rejoicing by giving back to Sir 
Richard-of-the-Lea his lands, which had been 
confiscated by the Sheriff of Nottingham. 

For a whole year Robin stayed at the King’s 
court, but by the end of this time the call of 


ROBIN HOOD 21 1 

the greenwood was more than he could resist, 
and reminding King Richard of his promise 
to let him return, he and his men left London. 

They were filled with joy when they reached 
Sherwood, which had never seemed so beauti- 
ful to them before. And there Robin took up 
his old life, and never again could he be 
tempted to dwell in the city. 


* HAVELOK THE DANE 


King Ethelweard of England, although he 
had reigned but a short time, had done much 
for his country, to which he had given peace 
and prosperity. His people loved him, and 
great was their sorrow when it was known that 
he was mortally ill. 

His great concern was for his only child, a 
baby girl, and so he summoned his councillors 
to Winchester, which was then the capital, to 
select a guardian for his daughter, and a regent 
to rule the country until she should become of 
age. 

The wise men upon whom he called agreed 
that to Earl Godwin should be intrusted the 
care of the child, and also that, as he was a 
bold and clever statesman, he should be ap- 
pointed Regent of the kingdom upon the death 
of Ethelweard. 

* A legend of Grimsby. 

212 


HAVELOK THE DANE 


213 


Then the Earl swore a sacred oath that he 
would guard the child, whose name was Gold- 
borough, until she was of an age to marry, and 
then to select for her the strongest and best 
man in the country for a husband, and to them 
deliver the government of the realm. 

Soon after this the King passed away, and 
the Earl took possession of the throne. He did 
not gain the love of the people as the King had 
done, because his chief desire was to gain 
power and riches for himself. To this end he 
appointed to office only such men as would 
obey him absolutely and do his will in all 
things, and soon the people only feared him. 

As time went on Goldborough grew up to 
be a very good and beautiful maiden, and Earl 
Godwin became more and more jealous of her. 
He determined that she should never be queen, 
but that his son should rule in her place. So 
he sent her to a strong castle on the east coast, 
and set such a close watch over her that she 
was practically a prisoner. No one was 
allowed to visit her, nor was she permitted to 
leave the castle. 


214 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

Now at this time there was a king of Den- 
mark who had three young children, a son and 
two daughters, whose names were Havelok, 
Swanborough, and Helfed. Stricken with 
sickness and feeling that his end was near, he 
sent for his chief adviser, Godard, and to him 
gave the care of his children, making him 
take oath that he would love and guard them 
until the boy Havelok was old enough to take 
over the responsibilities of governing the 
kingdom. 

The King died, and then Godard had the 
three children shut up in a castle, and traitor- 
ously plotted to get rid of them. One day he 
went to see them, and found them cold and 
hungry. Havelok ran to him and begged that 
food and warm clothes be given them, telling 
him how they had suffered. But he was heart- 
less, and instead of helping them, he took the 
two little girls and killed them. He intended 
the same fate for Havelok, but the boy begged 
for mercy, and promised to leave Denmark 
and give up his claim to the throne if his life 
were spared. 

For a little while the traitor Godard felt 


HAVELOK THE DANE 


215 


some pity for the boy. He thought of his 
violence toward the two girls, but he knew 
that so long as Havelok lived, neither he nor 
his own children could be sure of wearing the 
crown in safety. Then he resolved that the 
young Prince should die, but by other hands 
than his. 

So he sent for a fisherman named Grim, and 
promised him great riches if he would see that 
Havelok was drowned. Grim consented, and 
having bound and gagged the Prince, he put 
him in a sack and carried him to his own 
home, intending to drop him in the sea during 
the night. 

Grim told his wife of the promise he had 
made to get rid of the boy, and of the wealth 
he was to receive for the deed, so at the hour 
of midnight they went to the sack in which 
Havelok was still tied, intent on carrying out 
their evil work. What was their surprise to 
find the place bright, as though from a ray of 
sunlight! They were filled with astonish- 
ment, and together opened the sack and untied 
the ropes which bound him. They examined 
his body, and on his shoulder saw the mark of 


a cross. 


216 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


It was well known that the heir to the 
Danish throne had this birthmark, and this 
sign told them who he was, and why Godard 
sought to have him removed. They begged 
the young Prince to forgive them and said 
they would watch over him and keep him safe 
until he was old enough to avenge his sisters 
and to win his kingdom. They gave him food 
and drink and treated him tenderly, telling 
him that he need have no more fear. 

The next day Grim told Godard that the 
boy was drowned and asked for the promised 
reward. This was refused, and Godard even 
threatened to have him executed, feeling that 
the fisherman was now in his power. 

Grim knew that his life would not be safe 
in Denmark, so he lost no time in selling his 
goods and fitting up his ship. Then he set sail 
for England, taking with him his wife, three 
sons and two daughters, and Havelok. They 
were overtaken by a storm and driven ashore 
near the mouth of the River Humber. They 
settled where they landed, and from that time 
the place has been known as Grimsby. 

For some years they lived at Grimsby, mak- 


HAVELOK THE DANE 217 

ing a fair living by catching and selling fish. 
But at length a famine came upon that part of 
the country, and it became hard work to find 
food for the family. Then Havelok, unwill- 
ing to be a burden upon Grim, set out for the 
city of Lincoln, to see if he could find work. 
He was a very strong and willing youth, and 
soon found a place in the Earl of Lincoln’s 
household, where he became one of the cook’s 
menials. Here he soon became a favorite with 
everyone, especially with the children. He 
grew quickly in strength and stature, and 
became known as the tallest man in Lincoln, 
and one of the strongest in all the country. 
And his nature was as gentle as his body was 
powerful. 

The city of Lincoln was famous for its 
strong men, and the people were very fond of 
games and sports requiring skill and strength. 
It happened that Godwin, Regent of England, 
was visiting Lincoln whilst some games were 
being held, and one of the events was putting 
the stone. In this case the stone was a very 
heavy one, so heavy that but few of the men 

could even lift it. Havelok was the last to 
15 


2i 8 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


try his hand, and he easily put it many feet 
farther than any of the others had done. It 
was quite a marvelous feat, and so many 
people spoke of it that in time Godwin heard 
of it. He sent for Havelok, and ordered him 
to repeat his exploit before him. 

A plan came to his mind by which he could 
make it impossible for the Princess Gold- 
borough, who had been a prisoner all these 
years, to ever be the queen of England. He 
had promised King Ethelweard to marry his 
daughter to the strongest man in the country, 
and if she would wed this castle menial, the 
people would never consent to have one of 
such low estate to be their ruler. Of course 
he knew that when the King had said the 
“strongest” man he did not mean physical 
strength, but this appealed to his sense of 
humor, and besides, it would humiliate the 
Princess. So he sent for Goldborough, and 
forced her to marry Havelok, much against 
the wills of both. 

Havelok knew that it would not do for him 
and his wife to stay in Lincoln on account of 
Godwin’s hatred, and so he determined to 


HAVELOK THE DANE 


219 


return to Grimsby and ask the advice of his 
old friends. From them they received a hearty 
welcome, and Havelok promised to stay there 
for the time being. 

Goldborough felt sad at having been forced 
to marry a stranger, and one of such lowly 
birth. But that night, as she lay awake, she 
saw the same light on Havelok’s face and the 
cross on his shoulder that Grim and his wife 
had seen many years ago. And a voice said 
to her: “Your husband is of royal birth and 
shall be the king of both Denmark and Eng- 
land.” 

She awoke Havelok, and told him what the 
voice had said to her. And he, surprised, said 
that he had been dreaming the same thing. 

In the morning they told this to their 
friends, and it was decided that Grim’s sons 
should go with them to Denmark. 

So Havelok, Goldborough, and Grim’s sons 
took ship, and in due time they reached Den- 
mark. They went at once to the castle of 
Count Ubbe, a Danish nobleman who had 
been a friend of Havelok’s father. From him 
they obtained permission to engage in trade in 
his part of the county. 


220 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


Ubbe received them with kindness, and 
invited them all to a banquet at his castle. He 
became so friendly toward them that, when 
the feast was over, he sent them, with an 
escort, to the house of a knightly friend of his, 
Sir Bernard Brown, who was pleased to pro- 
vide for them a good abiding-place for the 
night. 

They had hardly retired to rest when there 
was a great clamor at the door and a voice 
was heard crying aloud : “Let us in, or we will 
kill all within the house.” 

Sir Bernard seized an axe, went to the door 
and called out to the band of robbers (for 
such they were) that if they did not quickly 
go away they would soon find themselves in 
prison. 

The thieves, however, who were more than 
fifty in number, attempted to break open the 
door. Then Havelok withdrew the bolt, 
threw open the door, and invited the besiegers 
to come and fight with him. 

With this they rushed at him, and Havelok, 
who was armed with an iron bar, drove them 
back after several of them had been slain. 


HAVELOK THE DANE 


221 


Then they threw stones at him and set their 
dogs upon him, and soon he received many 
wounds; but with the help of Sir Bernard and 
the three sons of Grim, the robbers were over- 
come and all of them slain. 

The next day news of the fight reached 
Count Ubbe, and from Sir Bernard he learned 
that the victory was due almost entirely to 
Havelok, who had himself slain most of the 
thieves. When this deed of valor had been 
proved to the Count, he dubbed Havelok 
knight, and invited him and Goldborough to 
stay at the castle, for no honor could be too 
great for one who had shown himself so val- 
iant. 

So Havelok removed to the castle, and was 
given the room next to that of the Count, and 
a physician was summoned to attend to his 
wounds. 

During that night Count Ubbe awoke and 
noticed a strong light coming from the next 
room. He went to find the cause, and found 
that it came from Havelok’s mouth, and on 
his shoulder he saw the bright cross. 

At this the Count summoned his knights and 


222 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


showed to them all the cross which proved 
Havelok to be the rightful king. Then they 
all did homage to him and swore to help him 
win the crown of Denmark. 

In the morning Ubbe proclaimed Havelok 
King before the people, who took oath to 
faithfully serve their new ruler. 

Then Havelok was crowned, and following 
the ceremony there was much feasting and 
singing, and games and sports. The sons of 
Grim were made barons, and to each was given 
lands and cattle. 

Although he was now the king, Havelok 
had before him the task of subduing the 
usurper Godard, and to this end he gathered 
together an army, at the head of which he put 
Robert, the oldest of Grim’s sons. After a 
severe battle the traitor’s forces were defeated 
and he himself, bound hand and foot, was 
taken before a jury of nobles. Godard was 
convicted of the murder of Havelok’s two 
little sisters and sentenced to be executed. In 
due course the judgment of the court was 
carried out. 

Being firmly seated upon the throne of 


HAVELOK THE DANE 


223 


Denmark, Havelok decided to win that of 
England for Goldborough, who was the right- 
ful queen. He set sail with his army and 
landed at Grimsby. The news speedily reached 
Earl Godwin, who swore to avenge himself 
by hanging both Havelok and Goldborough. 

Godwin put himself at the head of a large 
force, and near Grimsby the two armies faced 
one another. The battle was begun by Have- 
lok himself, and the fighting soon became 
general. Many were the deeds of valor on 
both sides, and great was the slaughter. Ubbe 
singled out Godwin, and these two engaged in 
a duel which lasted for many hours, neither 
being able to overcome the other. At last 
Godwin wounded Ubbe severely, and would 
have killed him had not Havelok carried him 
away to safety. 

Then Havelok said to Godwin: “Did you 
not swear to King Ethelweard that you would 
hold the kingdom in trust for Goldborough 
until she should reach womanhood, and then 
give it up to her? Do now according to your 
oath, and you shall be forgiven for your injus- 
tice to her, ,, 


224 


THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


Godwin’s reply was to attack Havelok with 
his sword, and he smote so fiercely that the 
Dane’s shield was cut in two. Havelok re- 
turned the blow with interest, and wounded 
his enemy so that he soon expired. 

The battle was now over, and Godwin’s 
knights swore to serve Goldborough and 
Havelok, who were proclaimed joint rulers of 
the country. 

Havelok’s first task, as soon as he had 
leisure, was to reward his old friends at 
Grimsby for all their care and kindness. Then 
he and Goldborough went to London, where 
they were crowned King and Queen with great 
ceremony. 

When the festivities were over, Havelok 
made Ubbe Regent of Denmark, to rule in his 
stead, but he and Goldborough reigned over 
England for many happy years, and were 
greatly loved by all the people. 


ST. ANDREW’S FIGHT WITH THE 
WIZARD 


St. ANDREW was seeking knightly adventure 
when he saw riding toward him a band of 
knights and ladies. On observing him they 
halted, and one of their number asked him, as 
soon as they were within speaking distance, 
who he was and what his business might be. 

“I am a Christian knight in search of ad- 
venture,” answered St. Andrew. 

Now this was in the kingdom of Thrace, 
and the King of that country was one who 
hated all Christians, and fought against them, 
continually. He was with the company, and 
hearing that the lone knight was seeking war- 
like adventure, said that he should find it, and 
at once. “He shall fight my knights one after 
another,” said he, “and shall meet with an 
honorable death. There is a very suitable 
space for a tourney here, so let a herald 

225 


226 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


announce this to him and the marshals shall 
draw up the lists.” 

The herald accordingly went to St. An- 
drew and told him that, as he was a Christian, 
he was an enemy to the King of Thrace, and 
must therefore die. But the King was a just 
ruler and had decreed for him a knightly 
death, having ordered that he do battle with 
his champions, one after another, and that for 
this tourney the lists were being set. The 
laws of chivalry would be observed and 
squires appointed to attend him. 

St. Andrew knew that he could not fight foe 
after foe and not meet with defeat in the end, 
but he must uphold the Christian faith, and 
could not decline the combat. He therefore 
accepted the King’s terms. 

The herald then escorted St. Andrew to the 
lists, and presented him to the King, who ap- 
pointed squires to wait upon him, bring 
him food and drink, and attend to his armor. 

The trumpets sounded, and the Christian 
champion, from whose lance fluttered a pen- 
non, upon which were the words, “A martyr 
or a conqueror,” made his obeisance to the 


ST. ANDREW’S FIGHT 227 

King and then retired to his end of the lists, 
and a herald proclaimed : “The gallant knight, 
Sir Andrew of Scotland, will do battle against 
all comers for the honor of the Christian 
faith.” 

From the other end of the lists came a knight 
clad in silver armor, and as soon as the mar- 
shal had opened the tourney the two rode 
furiously at one another. They met with a 
terrific crash, and fortune was with St. An- 
drew, whose lance struck his opponent fairly 
upon the helmet and unhorsed him. He fell 
heavily to the ground and his neck was broken. 

St. Andrew retired to his pavilion, and as 
soon as his squires had made sure that his 
armor and weapons were worthy, the trum- 
pets blared, and he again rode into the lists to 
meet the next heathen champion, who this time 
was a knight clad in armor of gold. 

The word was given and they rushed to- 
gether. Each was struck by his opponent’s 
lance, and although the pagan knight was un- 
horsed, he was not seriously injured. St. An- 
drew leaped from his horse, and the fight was 
continued with swords. The combat was soon 


228 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


ended, for St. Andrew, with a tremendous 
sweep of his sword, broke through the defence 
of the golden knight and clove through his 
head, even to the neck. 

This speedy defeat of their two champions 
brought angry murmurs from the spectators, 
who did not relish the Christian knight’s vic- 
tories. 

St. Andrew was now wearied, but still he 
was eager to test the skill of his next antagon- 
ist. Again his squires tended him, and at the 
sound of the trumpet he left his pavilion, and 
saw facing him this time a knight in coal- 
black armor, riding a black horse, and on his 
lance was a black pennon. 

This knight was a stranger to all, and the 
King sent a herald to him to discover his name. 
But the messenger returned, saying that the 
knight desired to be called the Unknown, and 
that he was anxious to do battle with the Chris- 
tian. He hated all Christians, and wished to 
serve the King by causing the death of St. 
Andrew. 

The black-armored knight was a very giant, 
and the King thought he would make short 


ST. ANDREW’S FIGHT 


229 

work of St. Andrew, so he readily allowed the 
combat. 

The marshal gave the word, and like shots 
from a catapult, the knights dashed across the 
lists, meeting with a rending crash. Neither 
was hurt, although each staggered in his 
saddle, but both lances were shivered to atoms. 

Fresh lances were obtained, and again they 
came together. This time each was unhorsed, 
and then shields were brought and the duel 
was continued on foot. 

With swords drawn they rushed fiercely at 
one another, and steel striking steel made 
sounds like a blacksmith hammering on an 
anvil. So savagely did St. Andrew’s enemy 
assail him that he was forced to retreat, and 
the onlookers cheered when they saw that he 
was hard pressed. But though he gave way, 
he fought warily, carefully watching his op- 
ponent, and causing him to advance in his 
eagerness. At last he saw his chance, and as 
the black knight aimed at his head a tremend- 
ous blow, which from its very fury was some- 
what wild, he sprang to one side, and before 
the knight could recover his balance he struck 


230 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

him so violently that his sword cleft him 
through to the shoulders. 

It was a marvelous stroke. But the people 
were angered at this third defeat, and swarm- 
ing over the barriers, they shouted: “Death 
to the Christian!” and the marshal was power- 
less to restrain them. 

St. Andrew was filled with anger at this 
treachery. He had no hope now of his life, 
but he resolved to defend himself as well as 
he was able. He whirled his sword round his 
head like lightning, and attacked the mob with 
what strength he had left. His fury was 
great, and soon the people were running from 
him. 

He went to the King and wrathfully de- 
nounced him for this breach of the laws of 
chivalry, and while he was speaking a squire 
ran across the lists with a look of horror upon 
his face. 

“Sire,” he cried, “I pray you come and look 
at the black knight.” 

The crowd was quiet, whispering fearfully 
to one another. The King, St. Andrew, and 
some of the courtiers went to where the body 


ST. ANDREW’S FIGHT 


231 


of the black knight lay. A squire then drew 
back the vizor of the helmet, and showed them 
a face so full of evil that they started back in 
horror. Upon the head was no hair; the eyes 
were shrunken and the teeth were like those 
of a wolf. The face was wizened and shrunken, 
and not that of a strong man who could bear 
arms. 

“This is a wizard,” said St. Andrew, “and 
not the man of strength with whom I fought. 
When I slew him his power vanished and he 
returned to what he was, a thing of evil.” 

“I think you are right, Sir Knight,” said the 
King. “When we encountered you we were in 
search of a certain magician, and it may be 
that this is he whom you have slain. If so, I 
owe you a debt greater than I can repay. And 
now I beg your forgiveness for the lack of 
knightly courtesy which has been shown to 
you, and which can only be explained by our 
hatred toward all Christians.” 

The black knight proved to be the wizard 
for whom the King and his court were in 
search, and the King was now as eager to do 
honor to St. Andrew as he had been to cause 
his death. 


232 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

St. Andrew said to him gently: “Sire, you 
hated me because I was a Christian. You will 
reward me enough if henceforth you deal 
kindly with knights of my faith.” 

The King said that his hate had turned to 
love. They talked earnestly together, and in 
the end the King of Thrace and many of his 
people became Christians themselves. 


OLIVER AND THE GIANT 


QUIET prevailed in the camp; only the tread 
of the sentinels, and the occasional orders 
given by the officers were heard. All were 
tired and weary, for the great army of the 
Emperor Charlemagne had been fighting 
hard, and there had been but little rest for the 
warriors of late. But recently, in a great 
battle, they had defeated their enemy, and 
many brave knights were lying in their tents, 
sorely wounded. 

The heavy thud of horses’ hoofs breaks 
upon the stillness, coming nearer and nearer, 
and soon is seen the glitter of the sun upon the 
armor of a large body of riders. The sentries 
have given the alarm and the soldiers spring 
to arms. Suddenly the oncomers halt, and 
from their ranks comes a single horseman, clad 
in the full panoply of war. 

16 233 


234 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

As the rider advances it is seen that he is a 
man of immense size, and mounted upon a 
massive steed. He dashes across the plain, and 
at length draws rein before the royal tent of 
Charlemagne. 

Then, in a voice like the bellowing of an 
angry bull, he roared: “Behold, ruler of the 
Franks, I am here to do battle with any 
champion upon whom you may bestow the 
honor of combat with me. Send forth Roland, 
or Oliver, or both of them, or more if you 
wish. I have slain kings and princes and 
have the strength of many men.” 

Charlemagne asked his knights if any among 
them knew this noisy champion, and they 
replied that he was the giant Fierabras, son of 
the Moorish admiral. That he was well 
known to be a valiant man and a great fighter, 
who had indeed overcome kings and princes; 
that he was a great enemy of the Christians, 
and, moreover, had in his possession the Holy 
Sepulchre. 

As the Emperor thought upon the deeds of 
this pagan warrior of such strength and renown, 
he was filled with anger, and turning to the 


OLIVER AND THE GIANT 235 

knights, he said : “Which among you will do 
battle with this boaster, for the honor of 
France ?” 

There was no reply, and Charlemagne 
looked upon them with amazement. That any 
should miss so great an opportunity for glory 
was more than he could understand. He 
looked at his own nephew, Roland, who was 
one of the Twelve Peers of France, known to 
all men for his great courage and brave deeds. 

Roland saw the look of wonder and reproach 
fixed upon him, and he said with much bitter- 
ness: “We, your knights, have fought vali- 
antly for you, and have won victories. Many 
of us are sorely wounded, even Oliver, my 
friend, who is near to death. And no praise 
have you given us for our valor, but instead 
have told us that our deeds, though brave, 
were as nothing compared with those which 
your knights of old would have done had they 
been fighting in our stead. Your own words 
to us give the reason for our silence.” 

This speech filled Charlemagne with anger, 
the more so that he knew in his heart that it 
was deserved. He had indeed belittled his 


236 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

knights even as Roland had said, although he 
had regretted the words as soon as he had 
spoken them. 

But now he was unable, through his rage at 
being thus publicly rebuked, to give a reason- 
able answer, and he uttered bitter v/ords, to 
which Roland as bitterly replied. 

“Sire,” said Roland, “why do you ask one 
of us to fight with Fierabras? Surely there 
is left at least one of the knights you praise so 
highly who may engage in combat with this 
giant!” 

The knights feared for Roland on account 
of his bold words, and, indeed, it might have 
gone hardly with him, so great was Charle- 
magne’s wrath, had not the giant at this 
moment burst forth into a roar so loud that 
he drowned all other sounds. 

“Hasten, Emperor of the Franks,” cried he, 
“and send forth your champion; and while 
he is preparing for battle, I will lay down and 
rest under yonder tree. And if you keep me 
waiting too long, I will come with my army, 
and your head shall be forfeit for your 
cowardice. Also your knights shall be my 


OLIVER AND THE GIANT 237 


slaves, and the others of your followers put to 
the sword.” 

With this the giant turned and rode to the 
tree he had pointed out, and when he had 
taken off his armor he lay down to sleep. 

Charlemagne was pale with anger at the 
insults offered him by Fierabras, and he 
vented his wrath against his nephew Roland, 
and the quarrel between them became so 
heated that the knights were alarmed as to the 
fate of their companion. 

Roland had been a great favorite of the 
Emperor on account of his great courage 
and valiant deeds; but now he remembered 
only the wounds of his friend Oliver, and his 
uncle’s bitter words, and he resented the slight 
that had been put upon them all. In the dis- 
pute their voices were raised to such a pitch 
that they reached the ears of Oliver as he lay 
suffering on his bed, and he asked Garin, his 
squire, to find out the reason for the noise. 

When he returned, Garin told Oliver about 
the challenge of the heathen champion, and 
how that no knight would accept it; and then 
he described the quarrel between Roland and 
Charlemagne. 


23B the ruby story book 

Oliver knew that his wounds caused his 
friend Roland as much pain as he himself was 
suffering, so great was the love between them, 
and his heart went out to him on account of the 
Emperor’s harsh words. For a few minutes 
he said nothing, and then he asked Garin to 
bring his armor and help him to put it on. 

He bathed and bandaged his wounds, but 
the effort was so great that the blood gushed 
forth from them, and Garin begged him to 
desist, saying that if he attempted to walk with 
his armor on he would surely die. But Oliver 
rebound himself, and having donned his ar- 
mor, mounted his horse, and bearing his spear 
and favorite sword, rode to the Emperor’s 
tent. 

Charlemagne, knowing how near to death 
Oliver had been, was so surprised that he 
thought he must be dreaming. Then seeing 
that this was really his knight in flesh and 
blood, he cried: “Sir Oliver, why do you 
regard your life so lightly as to leave your 
bed when you are barely able to stand ? Hasten 
back before it is too late.” 

But Oliver said : “Sire, I beg of you a favor. 


OLIVER AND THE GIANT 239 

I have fought for you these many years, seek- 
ing no reward. I ask that you grant my 
request.” 

Charlemagne thought Oliver to be delirious 
with fever, and so sought to soothe him. 
Therefore he said: “Ask what you will, for 
any favor you wish I will grant. I can refuse 
nothing to so brave a knight, but return at 
once to your bed, so that your wounds may be 
healed.” 

Oliver replied : “Sire, my request is that I 
may do battle with this heathen. When I have 
overcome him I will take care of my hurts.” 

The Emperor was grieved. He knew that 
Oliver was in no condition to accept the chal- 
lenge, and that he was scarcely able to wield a 
sword. But he had given his royal word that 
the request would be granted, although he had 
not known then what boon would be asked, 
and he could not withdraw it. He dwelt upon 
the great strength of the giant, and tried to 
show Oliver how impossible it was for him to 
fight, wounded as he was. But Oliver was 
firm, and insisted that he be allowed to go. 

The Emperor and his knights were sorely 


2 4 o THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

grieved that one whom all loved should go, as 
they were sure, to his certain death, and they 
did their best to persuade Oliver not to engage 
in so unequal a contest, but he would not 
listen to them. He took Charlemagne’s glove 
as a gage to bear with him to the fight, and 
asking the forgiveness of any who may have 
aught against him, he saluted the Emperor 
and his brothers in arms, and proudly rode 
toward his foe, whom he found asleep beneath 
the tree. 

He awoke Fierabras with a loud cry, and 
said that the great Charlemagne had sent him 
to do battle as his champion, and also that he 
bore a message from his ruler, asking that he 
forsake his pagan idols, and turn to the one 
true God. 

To this the giant replied: “I am the 
powerful Prince Fierabras, and hold in my 
possession the Sacred Tomb. Your words I 
hold in contempt and heed them not at all.” 

Then was Oliver filled with anger, and he 
said: “As you spurn Charlemagne’s offer, 
heathen, let the fight begin.” 

At the giant’s request, Oliver helped him 


OLIVER AND THE GIANT 241 

put on his armor, and then Fierabras asked 
him his name, saying that he wished to know 
whom he was to conquer. 

Oliver replied that he was a poor and 
humble knight, called Garin, and the giant 
said, “Where, then, are the doughty lords 
Roland and Oliver, of whom you all brag so 
much? Why did not your Emperor send one 
of these to do battle with me?” 

The pain of his wounds, which had opened 
afresh, caused Oliver to reel, and the gaze of 
the giant rested upon his face, which was pale 
as that of a corpse. Fierabras then said, with 
some gentleness in his voice: “Sir Garin, I 
see that you are wounded; it is not possible 
for you to fight with me.” 

Then was Oliver impatient, and he replied : 
“It is useless to talk, since you will take no 
heed to the Emperor’s message. Let us begin 
the combat.” 

Fierabras said : “Great is my strength. How 
can I fight with one wounded near to death? 
Let me ask your Emperor to send another in 
your place.” 

But this Oliver refused, and said that his 
God would give him strength. 


242 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

Thereupon they found a level place for 
battle, and many from each army came out to 
witness the fight. Fierabras prayed to his 
idols, and then turning to Oliver, asked if he 
had told him his true name. 

Oliver replied: “I am Oliver, one of the 
Twelve Peers of France, and the friend of 
Roland.” 

“I could see,” said the giant, “that you were 
no ordinary knight.” And they rode at each 
other with such swiftness that their spears 
were broken. 

Now Fierabras had three famous swords, 
which he called Baptism, Grabon, and Pleas- 
aunce. Of these he chose the latter, and flew 
fiercely upon Oliver, who answered with so 
mighty a thrust that he broke off part of his 
opponent’s helmet. In his turn Oliver received 
a blow that broke his shield, and the force of 
it made him stagger, so that he almost fell. 
He recovered himself, however, and put all 
his strength into a stroke that well-nigh fin- 
ished the giant. 

Fierabras began to breathe heavily, and for 
the first time began to feel a little doubtful as 


OLIVER AND THE GIANT 243 


to the issue. He saw that he must press the 
fight, and with a great effort he fell so hard 
upon Oliver that he struck that valiant knight’s 
sword from his hand. 

And then he mocked him, saying: “Where 
is now the strength of which you boasted? 
Your God cannot return your sword.” 

Oliver was now in great difficulty. His 
shield was broken, so that he could not use it 
in an effort to cover himself while he tried to 
regain his sword, and also the pain of his 
wounds had become greater. Fierabras no- 
ticed this, and, admiring his bravery, offered 
to wait while he picked up his sword. 

This Oliver refused, and prayed for re- 
renewed vigor and help. At this moment he 
looked about him, and saw that the giant’s 
second sword, Baptism, was lying close by, for 
during the combat they had reached the spot 
where Fierabras had left his swords. 

“See!” he cried, “here is the help for which 
I prayed, and with your own sword shall I 
win the victory!” And picking up the 
weapon, he rushed so fiercely upon the giant 
that he, dismayed and wearied, could ill with- 


244 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

stand the onslaught The sword pierced his 
armor, and with a great cry he fell heavily to 
the ground. 

Into this blow Oliver had put all his remain- 
ing strength, and now he dare not move for 
fear he should fall, in such weak state was he. 
He bowed his head and gave thanks for the 
victory, while shouts of joy came from the 
Frankish hosts. 

Fierabras was not mortally wounded, and 
in due time he recovered. But such an im- 
pression had Oliver’s steadfastness and cour- 
age made upon him that he sought to learn 
more of the Christian faith, and it was not 
long before he renounced his idols and was 
baptised. He did all he could to undo the 
evil he had wrought, and he became a friend 
and comrade to Roland and Oliver, in whose 
company he was to perform many brave and 
valiant deeds. 


KING RICHARD AND THE 
MINSTREL 

Two men were wandering over the country- 
side of merry England; one of them, of 
graceful build, carried a guitar, upon which, 
when occasion offered at inn or castle, he 
produced marvelously sweet music. His com- 
panion, a man of immense strength, would 
sing songs of war and action in a voice which 
made the welkin ring. Both wore masks, and 
there was much wonder among those who 
were so#fortunate as to listen to them as to 
who they were. They never stayed long in 
any one place, and there was always regret 
among their audience when they disappeared, 
which they did as suddenly as they came. 

The singer was Prince Richard, the Lion- 
Hearted, and the minstrel was his friend 
Blondel. Although unlike in disposition, 
there existed between them a great love, which 
245 


246 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


only death would part. The Prince was wild 
and reckless, always ready for a fight when he 
could champion the weak, and his chivalry 
had won for him hosts of friends, who were 
proud to serve under him in whatever cause 
he might engage. 

Curiously enough, his wild spirit delighted 
in melody, and he had put many a verse to 
Blondel’s music. Quite often the two would 
travel together through village and town, with 
no other object in view than to enjoy their 
own company, and to please others as well as 
themselves with their playing and singing. 

But this manner of life was not to last. In 
time Richard became king, and while he 
would have liked nothing better than to have 
continued in the old way, Blondel would not 
have it so. His love for his friend and ruler 
was too strong, and he saw that it would not 
be for the country’s good. He told Richard 
that now he was the king he must do his duty 
as such; but that if there were any hour when 
his kingship should not claim him, he would 
be ready at his call. 

Richard saw the wisdom of the minstrel’s 


KING RICHARD 


247 


words, and loved him the more for them. 
They now saw little of one another, but their 
friendship never waned. 

As a prince he was hot-blooded and impetu- 
ous, and being king did not change his spirit. 
He sought for chivalrous adventure, and be- 
thought him of the Holy Sepulchre, which 
was in the hands of the Saracens. So he gath- 
ered together an army, gained the interest of 
King Philip of France, and they set out on 
their crusade for the rescue of the Sacred 
Tomb, resolved not to return until they had 
met with success. 

Other monarchs had made the attempt, but 
either through jealousy or lack of strength had 
failed. Richard and Philip therefore took 
more and better equipped men, soldiers whose 
valor had been tested. So they started upon 
their quest, and found a foe worthy of them. 

The Saracens, under their Emperor Sala- 
din, were real fighting men, used to warfare, 
and victory in battle came to them as often 
as to the Crusaders. A town won was soon 
lost, and Richard learned to respect his adver- 
saries as brave men and true soldiers. 


248 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

Then jealousy came between the French 
and English, frequently causing trouble in the 
Christian camp, and often Richard regretted 
having asked Philip to join him, for he came 
to see that he could have done as well with 
his own people, and perhaps have been more 
often victor, as there would then have been 
no quarreling in the ranks and between the 
officers of the allied armies. 

Affairs in England had not gone well during 
Richard’s absence, for his brother, Prince 
John, greatly desired to become ruler of the 
country, so he tried to start a revolution in his 
own favor. 

Blondel had not gone with the expedition, 
but had stayed at home, having set himself the 
task of watching over the interests of his 
friend and King while he was away. He was 
quick to see that plots were being hatched to 
take the throne away from Richard, and he 
sighed for his speedy return. 

The Sacred Tomb was still in the hands of 
the Saracens when Richard received news of 
this state of affairs at home, and he saw that 
his presence in England was necessary if he 


KING RICHARD 


249 


wished to keep his crown; and so, to his great 
sorrow, he was forced to relinquish his hopes 
for immediate victory over the infidels, and 
to return. 

The quickest, and also the most dangerous, 
way home was through the countries of two of 
his bitter enemies, the Archduke Leopold of 
Austria and the King of Germany. But 
danger was something that the Lion Heart 
would rather encounter than not, so the 
thought of it did not deter him. Leaving his 
ship, he landed on the coast of Austria, and 
continued his journey through that country. 

It is probable that had his friend Blondel 
been with him, he would have gone all the 
way by water, because that was the safer way 
for him, although longer, but as this wise 
counsellor was not there, he gladly took the 
more adventurous way. 

Disguised as a merchant and attended by 

quite a retinue of his followers, he gaily 

started on his travels through Austria, and it 

was not long before the Archduke Leopold 

discovered who he really was. He received 

warning of this, and, as a measure of caution, 
1 7 


250 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

left his gentlemen and went on accompanied 
only by a page, believing that in this way he 
could escape the vigilance of his enemy more 
easily than if he were attended by a great 
company. 

But, beyond this, he used little discretion 
and gave no heed to the danger in which he 
was. Being charitable, he gave much gold to 
the poor of the towns through which they 
passed, and this lavishness aroused curiosity, 
and in the end led to his arrest by Leopold, 
who was overjoyed at thus having in his power 
so mighty an enemy. Soon he was securely 
locked in a deep dungeon. 

News of the seizure of King Richard soon 
came to the ear of the King of Germany, and 
he, jealous that the Archduke should have had 
the good fortune to make so important a cap- 
ture, persuaded Leopold to sell his prisoner 
to him in return for a large sum of money. 
He then had him taken to a strong and deso- 
late castle which was built upon a rock, a place 
in which many horrible deeds had been com- 
mitted. 

Now Blondel had known of Richard’s leav- 


KING RICHARD 


251 


ing the Holy Land, and naturally supposed 
that he would journey all the way to England 
by water, and he was greatly troubled when 
the ship arrived without him, especially when 
he was told that his friend had landed in 
Austria, thinking to reach England the more 
quickly by land. 

For a long time he waited, but there was no 
news, and the people were sure that their King 
was dead. At last Blondel and a few faithful 
knights, who believed he still lived, set out in 
search of the Lion Heart, and landing where 
he had landed, followed the path which he 
had taken. Blondel gained the good will of 
the people by the sweet music of his guitar, 
and by careful questioning here and there, 
gained the information that a man of great 
courage and charity had passed through this 
or that town or village, accompanied by a 
page, and the description satisfied him that 
this was Richard. 

And then came a time when Blondel could 
gain no more information, and his heart was 
heavy within him. It seemed as though the 
friend he loved must be dead. But still he 


252 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

persevered, and vowed that he would discover 
the fate of his King. He and his companions 
went on, and, after crossing the Danube, 
reached a wild valley near the river Rhine. 

On one side were rocky hills, upon the 
highest of which was a grim-looking castle, 
showing darkly against the sky. Strangely 
enough, when Blondel looked at this forbid- 
ding castle, he felt almost happy, and some- 
thing seemed to tell him that his quest was 
near the end. He said to the knights with 
him: “Hide here, while I climb the hill to 
the castle wall. There is that within me which 
says I shall find tidings of him we seek.” 

Blondel climbed the hill until he met a 
young shepherd. He questioned him as to the 
history of the castle, and asked if there were 
any prisoners in its dungeons. He learned 
that many crimes had been committed and 
much blood shed there, so much so that people 
avoided the place as a pestilence. 

The minstrel tried to find out more about 
the castle, but the shepherd showed such fear 
that he would answer no more questions. Then 
Blondel played upon his guitar as a reward 


KING RICHARD 


253 

for the youth’s courtesy, and sang a song to his 
own playing. 

“Why, sir!” cried the shepherd, “that is the 
very song I have heard the poor knight who is 
prisoner in the south tower sing many times as 
I have watched my sheep; and he sings 
sweetly.” 

This filled Blondel with gladness, for then 
he knew where his friend was, and he soon 
found his way to the south tower of which the 
shepherd had spoken. There he sang a song, 
the verses of which Richard had himself writ- 
ten when Blondel had stirred his heart with 
the music of his guitar in the days when they 
had wandered about the countryside together. 
He finished the first verse and immediately 
the second was sung by a voice from within 
the tower, and that voice was King Richard’s. 

“My true and faithful Blondel!” cried the 
King. 

Blondel said joyfully, “Sire, I thank God, 
that I have found you, and near by are hidden 
good knights and true who have been with me 
in the search, and now we must find means for 
your escape.” 


254 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

After talking for some time, the two friends 
parted, and Blondel sought the warden of the 
castle, and found him glad to welcome any 
stranger to so lonely and dismal a place, 
especially one who could produce such har- 
mony as did Blondel with his guitar. 

As soon as he could, Blondel returned to 
the knights, who were anxiously waiting. He 
told them how he had discovered King Rich- 
ard, and that he had spoken with the keeper 
of the castle and had played for him. Then 
they took counsel together, to devise a plan 
for the rescue of their beloved ruler. 

This was not easy, for they were too few to 
storm the castle, which was a tremendously 
strong fortress, so the only way was to use 
strategy. Each day Blondel went to the 
castle and played and sang to those there. He 
tried to find someone who would give him 
aid, but the soldiers knew only one thing, and 
that was to obey orders, and theirs were to 
defend the citadel and allow no prisoner to 
escape. 

So Blondel had a hard task before him, but 
he persevered, and at last he saw that a beau- 


KING RICHARD 


2 5 $ 


tiful damsel who, he found, was the jailer’s 
daughter, often came to the great room where 
he entertained the company. She was so dif- 
ferent from the coarse, dull-witted servitors 
that the contrast made him watch her with 
interest. Gracious and tender was she, and it 
was apparent that all loved her. 

One evening, when Blondel was singing, the 
maiden came and sat by the light of the fire, 
where she rested her head upon her hands, 
dreaming. And then he knew that he loved 
her, and somehow he managed to let her know 
this by his songs. 

After this he saw to it that they met more 
often, and soon she confessed her love for him. 
But she trembled when he told her of the 
imprisoned King, and of his desire that he 
escape. “Her father,” she said, “was a harsh 
and cruel man, and one who would never 
betray his trust.” 

One morning the maiden sought Blondel, 
and told him that the next day her father had 
to report at the town, and that when he had 
gone, she would secure the key to the King’s 
door. Then Blondel and his friends could see 
to the rest. 


256 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

So Blondel made his plans, and that night 
he and his followers were hidden within the 
castle walls. After the jailer’s departure in 
the morning, his daughter went to the south 
tower, where King Richard was imprisoned, 
and opening the door, said : “Follow me, Sire, 
but be careful, for the way is full of danger.” 
And she led him safely to where Blondel and 
the knights were hidden. 

There were shield, helmet and sword ready 
for the King, and when he had put these on, 
they prepared to leave the castle. The alarm 
was soon spread, but Blondel and his party 
were well prepared, and all being brave men, 
skilled in warfare, it was not long before their 
opponents were overcome and completely de- 
feated. 

The gates were opened, and all were soon 
mounted on fleet horses, which they urged to 
their utmost speed. With them went the brave 
maiden, who was soon married to Blondel. 

Many adventures befell them on their way 
to the coast, but their courage overcame all 
danger, and at last they reached England, 
where Richard’s presence was sorely needed. 


KING RICHARD 


257 


The King bestowed rich gifts upon Blondel 
and his wife, but none did they value so 
greatly as his love and friendship. 


HORATIUS AT THE BRIDGE 


Tarquin the Proud was a tyrant, and his 
Roman subjects hated him. He thought him- 
self to be securely seated on the throne, but 
his misdeeds were so many that he was always 
in fear lest someone he had wronged would 
wreak his vengeance upon him. At length he 
committed a deed which did rouse the people 
to rebel. 

Lucretia was the wife of Collatinus, one of 
his most trusted officers. She was a woman of 
great beauty and nobility of character, loved 
by all who knew her. Tarquin planned to 
carry her off, but in this he failed. Lucretia 
wrote to her husband, who was away on duty, 
telling him of the Emperor’s deed, and then 
plunged a dagger into her heart. 

When Collatinus reached his home he 
found his wife dead, and he swore to avenge 
her blood upon Tarquin and all his race. 

258 


HORATIUS AT THE BRIDGE 259 

Lucretia’s body was taken to the market- 
place, where it was viewed by the people, and 
soon the story was spread over the country. 
The consequence was a revolution, and Tar- 
quin fled, thereby saving his life, but his two 
sons were captured and executed. 

The people decided after this to have no 
more emperors, so they chose two rulers, Col- 
latinus and Brutus, who were called consuls. 

Tarquin’s one idea was to regain the throne 
he had lost, and he at length persuaded Lars 
Porsenna, King of the Etruscans, to march 
with a great army against Rome. 

Now Rome is built upon hills, from the top 
of which one can see a great distance over the 
plain, and when the Etruscan army was near- 
ing the city, the glint of the sun upon the 
armor was seen. Preparations for defense 
were made; cows and sheep which were graz- 
ing in the fields outside were brought into the 
city and the gates closed. 

Between Rome and the approaching army 
was the river Tiber, which was spanned by a 
wooden bridge, on the farther side of which 
was a fortress. The Etruscans soon overcame 


260 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


the soldiers there, and then the problem of 
destroying the bridge confronted the Romans. 
If the enemy were to cross, the city would 
without doubt be taken. The river was very 
broad and the current so swift that it was 
practically impossible for the soldiers, en- 
cumbered with arms and armor, to swim 
across, so that the destruction of the span 
meant the saving of the city. 

The entrance to the bridge was so narrow 
that not more than three men abreast could 
comfortably stand there. This put a bold idea 
into the head of Horatius, the captain of the 
gate. If three brave men were to stand at this 
entrance, they could stay the advance of the 
enemy long enough, perhaps, for the bridge to 
be destroyed. He told his plan to the Roman 
commander, saying that he would be one of 
the three. Volunteers were called for and two 
selected. 

It was a forlorn hope for three soldiers to 
keep an army of thousands at bay for the 
length of time required to cut down the bridge, 
but they were brave men and undaunted. So 
they ran to defend the narrow entrance, while 


HORATIUS AT THE BRIDGE 261 


the rest of the soldiers rained blows upon the 
wooden supports with axes and hammers. 

The Etruscan leader laughed when he saw 
the three men take up their position. “Do 
these three expect to withstand the onslaught 
of my army while the bridge is being de- 
stroyed?” he said. “They will be killed long 
before the work can be done.” 

Porsenna launched his soldiers against the 
brave defenders, and one by one the Etruscans 
were vanquished. There was no faltering 
among the three, although they were weary 
and wounded. Soon the bridge began to 
tremble, and the Romans called to them to 
leave their post. Two of them dashed across, 
and just as they reached the other side it fell 
with a crash. 

But brave Horatius scorned to flee, even 
though he faced an army. He stood there 
alone, the rushing river between him and 
safety. 

Porsenna asked him to yield. He was a 
brave soldier himself, and admired the cour- 
age of Horatius. But such was the pride of 
the Roman, and sp little was h e afraid of 


262 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


death, that he actually turned his back to the 
enemy and looked across to the hills, upon one 
of which he could see his own house. 

. Then crying: “Father Tiber, take me into 
your keeping,” he leaped into the river. He 
was wounded and weighted with armor, but 
somehow he reached the other side, and was 
pulled up on the bank. 

There being now no bridge, the Etruscans 
settled down to besiege the city. They could 
not get into Rome, but neither could the 
Romans get out, and in time they were threat- 
ened with famine. 

A number of young Roman nobles deter- 
mined that the only way of escape was to kill 
Lars Porsenna, for they thought that if their 
leader were dead, the Etruscans would aban- 
don the siege. So they cast lots to see which 
should make the first attempt. Gaius Mucius 
was the one selected for the deed, so disguising 
himself, he swam the river and reached the 
Etruscan camp in safety. There he saw a man 
dressed in a purple robe and surrounded by 
soldiers. “This man,” he thought, “must be 
the King.” So drawing his dagger, he rushed 
up to him and stabbed him. 


HORATIUS AT THE BRIDGE 263 

It happened not to be Porsenna, however, 
but one high in authority. Mucius was imme- 
diately taken to the King, who asked him who 
he was, and why he had committed this deed. 

Mucius obstinately refused to answer, so 
Porsenna said he should be put to the torture 
and made to speak. 

At this the young Roman laughed, and put- 
ting his right hand into a fire which was 
burning close by, calmly held it there until it 
was burned to a crisp. “This will show you 
how little our people think of pain!” he cried. 

Again Porsenna was forced to express his 
admiration of the courage shown by a worthy 
foe, and he bade the youth depart in peace. 

“I thank you, Sire,” said Mucius, “and for 
your courtesy I will tell you that I am but one 
of three hundred who have sworn to take your 
life, and sooner or later your end will come 
if you continue in your efforts against Rome.” 

The bravery of Horatius and Mucius ap- 
pealed so greatly to Lars Porsenna, that he 
began to think that he had listened too readily 
to Tarquin, and after a while he sent messeng- 
ers to the Romans, saying that he would 


264 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

withdraw his army if they would permit 
Tarquin to take away from the city whatever 
might belong to him, and also give up a por- 
tion of their land. But until the treaty was 
signed, ten boys and ten maidens were to be 
held by the Etruscans as hostages. 

These terms were accepted, and the ten 
boys and ten maidens were delivered to Por- 
senna. But the young people were lonely and 
unhappy away from their homes, and while 
sitting on the river bank an idea came to one 
of the girls. She had seen Horatius escape by 
swimming across the Tiber, so why should not 
they do the same? If he, wounded and 
weighed down with armor, could get across, 
surely they, who were young and strong, need 
not fear to make the attempt. 

They all agreed, so one dark night they 
quietly let themselves into the water, and all 
reached the other side in safety. 

But the Romans would do nothing that 
savored of dishonor, and these twenty children 
were pledged as hostages. In honor they were 
bound to return them to their enemy. 

It was morning before the escape was dis- 


HORATIUS AT THE BRIDGE 265 

covered, and the sentries were about to take 
the news to their leader when boats were 
launched from the opposite shore, and soon 
the hostages were delivered again to the 
Etruscans. 

This act of good faith impressed Porsenna 
greatly, and proved to him how much better 
it would be to have so noble a people as allies 
and friends rather than as enemies. He at 
once released the children, and then the treaty, 
which meant so much to Rome, was signed. 

Tarquin endeavored to obtain help from 
other rulers, but without success, and he died 

an exile. 

18 


THE RETURN OF ODYSSEUS 


For a long time Odysseus had been away on 
his wanderings. Year after year passed by 
without news of him, and Penelope, his wife, 
feared that he must be dead. 

Penelope was very beautiful, and possessed 
much wealth. There were many suitors for 
her hand, and besides, the people of Ithaca 
wanted her to be married again, and they tried 
to persuade her to chose from among the 
eligible young men, with whom she had much 
trouble. They were not only jealous of one 
another, but were anxious to share her riches, 
and none of them would respect her wishes, 
and leave her alone. She refused to say “Yes” 
to any of them, because she still hoped that her 
husband was alive, and would return to her. 

But they would give her no peace, and at 
length she started to weave a great piece of 
266 


THE RETURN OF ODYSSEUS 267 

linen, and she said that when it was finished 
she would begin to think about wedding one of 
them, and would then make her choice. 

Each day they saw her working studiously 
at her weaving, and saw the fabric grow 
larger and larger, but every night she undid 
some of her work, so that it might not be 
finished for a long time. 

But one night a maid discovered what she 
was doing and let out the secret, so Penelope 
could not play this trick upon them any more, 
and soon the piece of linen was finished. And 
then it looked as though she would have to 
accept one of the young men. 

Now she had a son named Telemachus, who 
was twelve years old. Penelope said to him: 
“My son, I am sure your father is still alive; 
you go and search for him, tell him the trouble 
we are in, and bring him back with you.” 

So Telemachus went to Greece, and there 
he heard that Odysseus was still alive, but no 
one could tell him where he was. 

The fact is that he was held a prisoner. He 
and the companions who had been with him 
were shipwrecked, and he had been rescued 


268 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


by the nymph Calypso; all the others were 
lost. He was grateful to Calypso for having 
saved his life, but he longed to return to his 
wife; but the nymph would not let him go. 

At length the gods sent Hermes, their mes- 
senger, to tell her that she must release Odys- 
seus, and although very reluctant to do so, she 
had to obey. 

So one morning, disguised as a beggar, 
Odysseus returned to Ithaca, and great was his 
joy when he again saw the old familiar places. 
He soon found out about Penelope’s suitors, 
and as there were so many of them, he had to 
resort to strategy in order to get rid of them. 

The goddess Athene helped him by making 
him look like a very old man. She caused his 
skin to wrinkle and made his hair turn gray. 
In his hand he carried a bag, to hold any 
scraps that might be given to him. 

And now his disguise was perfect. This 
apparently aged man, leaning upon a stout 
staff, looked very different from the powerful 
Odysseus. 

The first place he went to was the hut of his 
faithful old shepherd, Emmaus, who gave the 
wretched-looking beggar food and a bed, 


THE RETURN OF ODYSSEUS 269 

The very next morning, just as Emmaus and 
the beggar were preparing their breakfast, 
Telemachus arrived, after his fruitless search. 
The three shared the meal, after which the 
shepherd went to tell Penelope of her son’s 
return. 

And now Odysseus and Telemachus were 
alone in the hut. Suddenly the goddess 
Athene appeared. To Telemachus she was 
invisible, but Odysseus saw her. She told him 
to reveal himself to his son, and tapping him 
with her wand, he was at once transformed 
into the tall and strong Odysseus, and great 
was the joy of Telemachus at beholding the 
father for whom he had been seeking. 

Odysseus told his son that he must help him 
get rid of the rascally suitors, and he asked 
him how they were armed. 

Telemachus answered that they had swords, 
but neither shields nor breastplates. 

Odysseus said : “That is well. But are not 
the weapons hanging upon the wall of the hall 
as they used to be?” 

“Yes,” answered Telemachus, “they are still 
there.” 


270 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

“Then you must manage to take them away 
and hide them,” said Odysseus, “and if any one 
should ask you where they are, say that they 
were rusty and dirty, and have been taken 
away to be cleaned. But for you and me, keep 
ready two swords, two shields and two spears, 
for we shall need them.” 

And now T elemachus returned to his mother, 
but he told no one about his father’s return. 
In the meantime Athene had changed Odys- 
seus back into the likeness of the beggar, so 
that when Emmaus came back to the hut he 
found the same old man he had left there. 

Then Odysseus asked the shepherd to guide 
him to the palace, but Emmaus said it would 
be better for him not to go there, because the 
suitors were rough, and would ill-use him. 

But Odysseus insisted, and said that he was 
used to rough treatment, and so Emmaus con- 
sented to take him. 

On nearing the palace, Odysseus saw his old 
favorite dog Argos, who all these years had 
been pining for his master. He was old and 
weak now, but directly he saw Odysseus he 
knew him, in spite of his disguise. He barked 


THE RETURN OF ODYSSEUS 271 

a welcome and jumped about, so great was his 
joy. 

Odysseus caressed him, but the delight and 
excitement of the old dog at seeing his master 
again were too much, and the poor old fellow, 
with a sigh of content and happiness, rolled 
over dead. This show of affection brought 
tears to the eyes of Odysseus. 

Soon they entered the hall, which was filled 
by the suitors, who were engaged with feasting 
and revelry. Odysseus went among them, 
begging; but they treated him harshly, mock- 
ing and jeering at him, and some of them 
struck him. 

When night was come they went away, and 
then Odysseus and his son removed and hid 
the weapons. When this was done, Tele- 
machus retired to his room, and the wanderer 
was left alone in the hall. 

After a little while Penelope came into the 
room. She had been careful to keep away 
from the suitors, but now that they were gone 
she sought the stranger, who might be able to 
tell her something of her long-lost husband. 

In answer to her questioning, he said that 


272 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

he had indeed seen Odysseus, and she was 
assured of the truth of this, because he de- 
scribed the cloak he wore, and a brooch of 
peculiar workmanship with which it was fas- 
tened. These two things Penelope had given 
him herself. And when the wanderer told her 
that Odysseus was well, and would soon return, 
she was overjoyed. 

Thinking the stranger to be weary after 
much journeying, she sent one of her women 
to bathe his feet. 

The light in the hall was dim, so that the old 
woman who came to attend him did not dis- 
cern his features. But it happened that she 
was his old nurse, and as soon as she had 
washed the dust from his feet, she felt a 
peculiar scar which an old wound had left, 
and at once she knew him to be her master. 

So again was Odysseus recognized, in spite 
of his disguise; first by his dog and now by 
his faithful old nurse. 

He requested her to say nothing of the dis- 
covery she had made, as he wished to be 
unknown for the present, and she promised to 
tell no one. 


THE RETURN OF ODYSSEUS 273 

The stranger’s views had greatly excited 
Penelope, and soon she returned to the hall 
that she might again listen to one who had 
seen her husband. The bathing was finished, 
and she told the wayfarer of her trouble with 
the suitors. She said that they insisted upon 
her making an immediate choice, and so she 
had decided that on the morrow she would get 
the great bow of Odysseus and the twelve iron 
axes, each with a hole in its blade, which he 
had used for practice. 

Now Odysseus had been wont to set these 
axes in a row, and then, from a distance, send 
his arrow through all twelve. She would tell 
the suitors that he who could perform this feat 
with the bow and arrows of Odysseus should 
be the one upon whom her choice would fall. 

The beggar said to Penelope: “Madam, 
before any of these men bend the bow of 
Odysseus, he himself will be with you.” 

“Oh, what happiness if it might only be 
true!” said Penelope. Then, bidding him 
good-night, she left him to his own reflections. 

In the morning the huge bow was brought 
down, and the axes were set in a row, in readi- 


274 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

ness for the test. Telemachus was the first to 
make the attempt, saying that none should 
take away his mother if his effort met with 
success. 

But greater strength than he possessed was 
necessary. Then each suitor in his turn tried, 
but was unable to even bend the bow. After 
all had failed, the beggar meekly asked if he 
might be allowed a trial. 

“Impertinent rogue !” said the suitors. 
“What sort of a bridegroom would a beggar 
like you make?” 

But Penelope said that he should try, and 
that if he were successful he should be 
rewarded with money. And T elemachus added 
that if he could do what the rest of them were 
unable to, he should have the bow itself. Then 
he asked his mother to go to her own room, 
having in mind the rough work that might 
follow. 

So Penelope went away with her maidens, 
and as soon as she had left the hall the dis- 
guised Odysseus took the bow. 

It seemed strange for this apparently old 
and decrepit man to attempt a feat which had 


THE RETURN OF ODYSSEUS 275 

proved too much for so many young and 
strong men, and the suitors jeered and made 
fun of him. 

But their jeering turned to wonder when he 
bent the great bow with ease, and the released 
arrow sped directly through the line of axe- 
heads, and buried itself in the wall beyond. 

Then Telemachus brought the swords and 
shields which he had put in a handy place, and 
giving one of each to his father, they together 
turned upon the suitors. A sharp but short 
fight followed, in which many of the intruders 
were slain, and the rest driven forth. 

When the fight was over the goddess 
Athene appeared, and tapping Odysseus with 
her wand, changed him to his own self again. 

At once Odysseus went to Penelope’s room, 
and when she saw her own husband, she 
thought it must be a dream. But taking her 
hand, he led her to a seat, and told her of his 
wanderings and adventures; of how he had 
returned disguised on account of the suitors, 
from whom there would be no more trouble, 
and of how his dog and his old nurse had 
recognized him. 


276 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


There was great rejoicing in Ithaca over 
the return of Odysseus, and no more did he 
leave his wife Penelope. 


THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE 


In the latter part of the seventh century, 
France was ruled by a great warrior called 
Duke Pepin. 

At that time France was not the settled 
country it is now, and the Pope sent many mis- 
sionaries to spread the gospel, and to teach 
those who had become Christians. Many 
fierce Teuton tribes wandered over the coun- 
try, which was also threatened by invasion of 
the Saracens, who treated very cruelly those 
who refused to accept their faith. 

Among the missionaries was a young man 
named Boniface, who was born in what was 
then known as Wessex, in the southwest of 
England. 

Boniface was loved by all in the town of his 
birth. He was brave and handsome, and did 
not lack for good things, but he was one who 

277 


278 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

could not live in idleness. He did not want to 
be rich and powerful, but what he really 
wished was to do lasting good to his fellow 
men. 

He decided that the best thing he could do 
was to teach Christianity to the heathen, and 
so, despite the protests of his friends, he took 
ship and crossed the channel which separated 
England from the continent, landing in the 
country inhabited by the Teutons. 

Boniface made his way through the coun- 
try, preaching to the fierce Germans, and 
trying to turn them from their pagan ways. 
He suffered many hardships, and on many 
occasions narrowly escaped death. Yet he 
never faltered, and soon was known every- 
where for his gentleness and love, and in time 
came to be called a saint. 

At length he reached Rome, where he was 
well received by the Pope, who sent him, with 
others, to France, to try and convert the wild 
German tribes which were still roaming about 
the country. From these tribes Duke Pepin 
had promised to protect the missionaries. 

About Christmastide in the year 714 Duke 


THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE 279 

Pepin died, and his son Charles ruled in his 
stead. A few years after this France was in- 
vaded by the Saracens, who laid waste the 
province of Aquitaine. 

The Saracen general had heard of the rich 
abbeys that were in the city of Tours, and 
there he led his army, thinking to win much 
treasure. But at Poitiers, a town near to 
Tours, Duke Charles fell upon and utterly de- 
feated them, and he did not rest until he had 
driven them out of France. And because of 
the heavy blows he dealt them, Charles was 
called the “Hammer.” 

When he had rid the country of the Sara- 
cens, Charles robbed the churches of their 
treasures in order to reward his soldiers, and 
so brought upon himself the wrath of the 
Pope. But he was so powerful that this gave 
him no concern. 

Although he had incurred the Pope’s 
anger, he did not cease to protect the mission- 
aries who had been sent from Rome to preach 
to the German tribes. Particularly was he in- 
terested in St. Boniface, and he wrote a letter 
to all who had power in the land, saying that 
he was in his care. 


280 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


For this protection St. Boniface, who had 
returned to his labors in Germany, wrote from 
that country a tribute to the power of his name, 
telling him that it helped greatly in the de- 
fence of the missionaries there, and in the 
guiding of the people away from the worship- 
ing of idols. 

One Christmas day, when St. Boniface was 
journeying in the north where the people 
prayed to their god Thor the Hammerer, he 
came upon a gathering of warriors, women 
and children, all clad in white, and in the cen- 
ter of them was a fire that had been lighted 
near the foot of an altar, close to which was 
a tall oak tree, sacred to Thor. 

Near the altar stood a priest, and in front 
of him knelt a little child, who was doomed 
to die by the stroke of a hammer, as a peace 
offering to the mighty Thor. 

But the sacrifice was not to be. With hur- 
ried steps Boniface went through the crowd, 
and standing before the priest, seized the ham- 
mer. Then simply, yet impressively, he told 
the people the story of Christ and His love, 
and said that this day was the anniversary of 
His birth. 


THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE 281 


He then felled the sacred oak with the ham- 
mer, and when he had done this, he looked 
around, and saw, close by, a young fir tree, 
straight and green. 

“Here is the tree which you shall call the 
Christmas Tree,” he cried. “Remove it from 
the ground, set it up in the home of your 
leader, and there celebrate this day with songs 
of joy, and for no more shall the blood of in- 
nocent children be shed as a sacrifice.” 

They did as the saint directed, and since that 
time the fir tree has been the emblem of peace 
and good will in the homes of people every- 
where during the joyous Christmastide. 


THE CAPTURE OF VINCENNES 


In the history of America there is no finer ex- 
hibition of indomitable courage than that 
shown by George Rogers Clark and his fol- 
lowers in the expedition which led to the cap- 
ture of Vincennes. 

Colonel Hamilton, who commanded the 
British forces at Detroit, captured the fort at 
Vincennes in December, 1779. It was in- 
tensely cold, and the march from Detroit had 
been long and arduous, so Hamilton decided 
to await the coming of spring before making 
the attempt to capture Kaskaskia, which had 
been taken by Colonel Clark. 

Having no present need for a large force, 
he sent back to Detroit most of his soldiers, 
keeping with him one hundred and sixty men, 
half of whom were Indians. 

News of the small force at Vincennes 

282 


THE CAPTURE OF VINCENNES 283 

reached Clark in the course of a few weeks, 
and he at once saw that this was an opportun- 
ity he could not afford to lose. In a week he 
was ready with a force of one hundred and 
seventy men, at the head of whom he set out to 
re-capture the fort at Vincennes. 

In the meantime a mid-winter thaw had set 
in, and this made the journey much more diffi- 
cult, because the melting ice and snow caused 
the rivers to overflow, so that for a large part 
of the way, which was through what is now the 
state of Illinois, the land was covered with 
water, sometimes to a depth of four or five 
feet. This was no easy undertaking, but one 
calling for every ounce of strength and all the 
grit the men possessed, and it must be remem- 
bered that this was a new country, and that no 
roads or bridges across the rivers had been 
built. 

For food they depended to a great extent 
upon such animals and birds as were killed 
while on the march. The hardships were not 
great during the first few days. They slept at 
night in the open, but large fires were built, 
and around these they sat and told stories until 
sleep overcame them. 


284 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

But when they reached a part of the Little 
Wabash river where two branches run paral- 
lel, their difficulty seemed to be insurmount- 
able. In front of them was a stretch of about 
six miles of water, the land between the two 
branches being flooded to a considerable 
depth. 

Here was an obstacle to overcome, and 
Clark put his wits to work. He soon saw a 
way out. Selecting a tree of large girth, he 
ordered his men to cut it down. The trunk 
was then hollowed, and the ends pointed, the 
result being a clumsy but staunch craft. In 
this the men and packs were paddled across, 
the horses swimming. 

The making of the dugout and crossing the 
expanse of water took several days, and when 
this barrier had been passed, fresh trouble as- 
sailed them. Animals and birds had been 
driven away by the rising water, and now they 
were tormented by hunger, being unable to 
secure any game. 

The situation was enough to daunt the spirit 
of any man; toiling through mud and water, 
shivering with cold, starving and exhausted, it 


THE CAPTURE OF VINCENNES 285 

is not surprising that the men began to despair. 
And what a leader Clark proved himself to be! 
Suffering equally with his men, he was always 
gay and smiling, helping and encouraging 
those who seemed to be on the point of col- 
lapse. Only his inspiring example kept his 
little army on the march. 

With such tools as they had the men fash- 
ioned some boats, and upon these they crossed 
the great Wabash river. Their goal was now 
near at hand, and had they been less weary and 
hungry, Vincennes would have been reached 
the same day. But for two days they had been 
without food, and some of them were so en- 
feebled by the hardships through which they 
had passed, that they had to be placed in the 
boats, for most of the way was under water, the 
land generally not being above the level of 
the river bank. 

Late in the afternoon of the same day a 
small hill was reached, and here fortune fav- 
ored them in two ways. A bear was killed, 
and so provided them with meat, and also they 
were able to encamp for the night on dry land. 

But the next day was a repetition of those 


286 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

that had gone before, and they wearily 
dragged themselves through the mud and 
water. To make matters worse, an intensely 
cold wind had sprung up. 

Vincennes was now almost in sight, but be- 
tween the suffering and exhausted men and 
the fort was a long, but shallow, lake. Before 
them was that which would try their very 
souls. 

Without hesitation Clark plunged unflinch- 
ingly into the icy water, which reached to his 
waist, and some of the hardiest of his men fol- 
lowed his example. 

The distance across the lake was nearly five 
miles, and after struggling for about one-third 
of the distance, there were several who were 
absolutely unable to proceed any farther. 
These were supported until the boats reached 
them, and took them to the other side. 

At last all reached the land, and there many 
of them simply fell, too weak even to stand. 
Fires were built, and with what bear meat 
there was left from the previous day, some 
very welcome broth was made. 

With returning strength they advanced to 


THE CAPTURE OF VINCENNES 287 

within a short distance of the fort, but care 
was taken that they should not be seen. There 
were many trees in the neighborhood, behind 
which they could hide. 

They prepared for the attack and soon 
opened fire upon the garrison. The fighting 
continued during the night, and the next day 
Hamilton surrendered the fort. 

The success of this enterprise brought an 
empire to the American people. It was made 
possible only by the tremendous energy and 
dauntless courage of a remarkable man, who 
contributed his own small fortune to bring the 
expedition to a triumphant issue. Faithfully 
and well did he serve his country, and the re- 
turn he received for his sacrifices was the in- 
gratitude of the government. 

George Rogers Clark, a hero, passed away 
in 1818, the last years of his life having been 
spent in poverty. 


THE PILGRIM FATHERS 


WERE it not for a small party of Puritans, the 
village of Scrooby, in Nottinghamshire, Eng- 
land, would probably be quite unknown by 
name to the people of America. 

In the early part of the seventeenth century 
there lived in Scrooby a number of people who 
did not belong to the established church of 
England, but formed a sect of their own. 
King James I declared that if they did not 
conform to the regular church, he would drive 
them out of the country. 

Now there were others of this religious sect 
who had settled in Holland, so these people of 
Scrooby resolved to join their brethren in the 
faith. But it was not so easy a thing for them 
to leave their native country as it would seem, 
because an old law forbade people to leave 
their native land without a proper license. 

288 


THE PILGRIM FATHERS 289 

So it was hard for them to stay in England 
because they suffered persecution, and it was 
difficult for them to get away, chiefly on ac- 
count of spies among them, who informed the 
authorities whenever the captain of a vessel 
had been bribed to take them across the North 
Sea. 

At last they arranged with a Dutch captain 
to take them on board his ship at a very lonely 
place between Grimsby and Hull. One boat 
load had been taken on board, and the boat 
was returning for a second, when soldiers were 
seen to be coming in pursuit. 

The anchor was weighed at once, and the 
ship went away, leaving those on shore to their 
fate. A storm sprang up, and the vessel, bat- 
tered by wind and wave, was driven to the 
coast of Norway. But after fourteen days they 
reached Holland, and joined their brethren at 
Amsterdam. 

Those who had been left behind were ar- 
rested, but they were not sentenced to jail, be- 
cause no magistrate would proceed against 
them. Before long they managed, in parties 
of two or three, to join their friends in Ams- 
terdam, 


2 9 o THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

In the course of a year they were given per- 
mission to settle in the city of Leyden, where 
they lived and prospered for twelve years. 

But prosperity made some of the younger 
people inclined to lead a gay life, which the 
leaders thought was not good for them, so a 
project was formed to start a Puritan colony 
in far-off America. This received the sanc- 
tion of King James, who allowed them to make 
Southampton their headquarters until they 
should be ready to leave England. 

The party left Delfshaven, in Holland, in 
the summer of 1620, making the voyage to 
Southampton in the Speedwell, a ship of about 
sixty tons. They were joined by a few people 
from London, who sailed round the coast in 
the Mayflower, a vessel of one hundred and 
eighty tons. 

On August 5th of the same year, the two 
ships started on their adventurous voyage. 
But soon trouble came to the Speedwell, which 
began to leak badly. Both put into the port 
of Dartmouth, where the smaller boat was 
overhauled. 

They made another start, and after sailing 


THE PILGRIM FATHERS 291 

three hundred miles, the Speedwell again 
leaked dangerously, so a return to England 
was made. There the Speedwell was con- 
demned as unfit, and her passengers were 
transferred to the Mayflower, which now had 
102 persons on board. 

This overcrowded vessel put to sea again on 
September 6th, and for some time encountered 
no adverse winds. But there was no comfort 
for any, with so many people jammed in so 
small a space. They were terribly cramped 
for room, especially below deck, where the 
sleeping accommodations were very limited. 
And besides, the food they had was poor. 

When about half-way across the ocean they 
were beset by severe gales, and this was a time 
to try the courage and fortitude of the bravest. 
The small craft was continually shaken from 
stem to stern, and in constant danger of 
foundering. To add to the horror of the situ- 
ation, the continual battering of the waves 
caused the upper works to leak. Fortunately, 
the ship was well-built and firm below, but 
the captain was greatly alarmed at the twist- 
ing of a main beam. 


292 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


It happened that one of the passengers had 
brought a stout iron screw with him, and with 
the help of this, the beam was set into its 
proper place, and strengthened. Had it not 
been for this, the ship probably would not 
have stood the strain. 

The rough weather continued for many 
days, and the sufferings of all on board may be 
imagined; all had given up hope of ever 
reaching land. One young man, maddened 
by the misery below, ventured upon deck. A 
wave caught him, and carried him away, but 
through the rolling of the ship, he was able 
to take hold of the topsail-halyards. He man- 
aged to hold on to the rope, and, with great 
difficulty, was pulled on board. 

Great was the joy of the adventurers when 
land was sighted. Since leaving Southampton 
more than thirteen weeks had passed, a time 
of utter wretchedness. They went ashore at 
Cape Cod, where the winters are long and 
severe, and they suffered considerably from 
the rigors of the climate, for which they were 
not prepared. 

Captain Miles Standish, in command of a 


THE PILGRIM FATHERS 293 


party of sixteen men, started out upon an ex- 
ploring expedition. It was not long before 
they saw some Indians, who quickly fled at 
their approach. 

They discovered the remains of a house and 
a large iron kettle, which showed that white 
men had been there before them. They also 
found some Indian baskets filled with corn, 
which they took back to the ship. 

At last a place at which they should settle 
was decided upon. It was on the mainland, 
opposite Cape Cod, where there was a good 
supply of water. It was on the 21st of Decem- 
ber, 1620, that the Pilgrims landed at Ply- 
mouth rock, and this was the new England, 
where they could worship as they desired, 
without fear of persecution. Here was for 
them a land of freedom. 


PAUL REVERE’S RIDE 


The English Parliament had passed the Bos- 
ton Port Bill, which King George III had 
foolishly supposed would cause the people 
of the American colonies to regret that they 
had indulged in what was called the “Boston 
Tea Party,” in which fifty men of Massachu- 
setts, disguised as Mohawk Indians, had 
broken open and emptied into the water of 
Boston harbor, the contents of three hundred 
and forty-two chests of tea, which were on 
board the ships at anchor. 

This action by Parliament meant that no 
ships could load or unload any merchandise at 
Boston until all of this tea had been paid for. 
It also meant that there should be military in- 
stead of civil rule in Massachusetts, and Gen- 
eral Gage was appointed governor. 

General Gage’s rule was very strict. As no 
294 


PAUL REVERE’ S RIDE 295 

trade by water was allowed, the people soon 
began to feel the loss of business. But they 
were not sorry for what they had done, in- 
stead, their anger grew. Their action was up- 
held by the other colonies, which helped them 
by sending quantities of food and live stock, 
and so the people of America became more 
and more united. 

It was decided to hold a great meeting at 
Philadelphia, where each colony should be 
represented by chosen delegates, and so there 
was held what is known as the First Conti- 
nental Congress. This was in 1774. 

General Gage would not allow the Massa- 
chusetts Assembly to hold any more meetings, 
and so the people changed the name of this 
body to that of the Provincial Congress. 

This was quite the opposite to what King 
George had expected or desired, because this 
Congress met only to make preparations for 
war. The most active leaders of the move- 
ment were John Hancock and Samuel Adams, 
and these two men General Gage declared to 
be traitors, and ordered their arrest. 

It was known that Hancock and Adams 


296 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

were in Lexington, not far from Boston, and 
also that the patriots had stored cannon and 
ammunition at a place called Concord, about 
eight miles from Lexington, so General Gage 
thought that he would kill two birds with one 
stone, and capture both men and military 
stores. 

Now the Provincial Congress had enlisted 
the services of a number of men called minute- 
men, who were ready to be called upon a min- 
ute’s notice for whatever service might be re- 
quired. These men kept a careful watch upon 
the British general’s movements, and they 
soon discovered that he had decided to send 
soldiers to capture John Hancock and Sam- 
uel Adams and to destroy the military stores 
at Concord. 

The failure of this expedition was due to 
the midnight ride of Paul Revere, a young 
man without fear, and one of the most active 
of the minute-men. He was one of the Indians 
who had organized the “Boston Tea Party,” 
and afterwards had gathered together a num- 
ber of other daring spirits, who made it their 
business to keep a careful watch upon the plans 


PAUL REVERE’S RIDE 


297 

of the British governor, and to report to their 
leaders. 

So when the English soldiers were about to 
start on their expedition, these patriot spies 
hurried with the news to Doctor Warren, 
under whose direction they were. This was 
late in the afternoon of April 18th, 1775. 

The doctor immediately ordered that two 
of the young men be prepared to ride to Lex- 
ington and Concord to rouse the people, and 
for this perilous journey he selected Paul Re- 
vere and William Dawes. Each was to go a 
different way, as the British were patroling the 
roads. 

Dawes started first, riding at the top speed. 
Paul Revere was to wait until after dark. He 
made arrangements with a friend to tell him, 
by signaling with a lantern from the belfry of 
the Old North Church, in which direction the 
British were advancing. If they came by land, 
the signal was to be one sweep of the lantern, 
and if by water, two. 

He then rode across the river to Charles- 
town, where he secured a swift horse. Here 
he waited impatiently for the signal, which 
seemed as though it would never appear. 

20 


298 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

With eyes peering through the darkness, he 
waited. Had his friend fallen asleep? Had 
he been discovered? Each minute seemed to 
be an hour. 

Then he saw the light. Twice the lantern 
made a circle, and by this he knew the soldiers 
were crossing the river. 

He sprang into a saddle, and soon was 
speeding like the wind. A good thing for him 
that he was a splendid horseman, for he was 
heard by a patrol, who gave chase. 

Fortunately, he knew the roads perfectly; a 
side-path was close at hand, and wheeling his 
horse, he dashed down this at breakneck speed. 
Applying both whip and spur, he was soon far 
ahead of his pursuers. 

The houses along the road were quite a dis- 
tance apart here, and at each one he stopped. 
Awakening the inhabitants, he called them 
to arms, telling them that the British soldiers 
were out. 

The minute-men lost no time in gathering; 
they needed no second call. 

At midnight Paul Revere reached Lexing- 
ton, the wild ride from Charlestown having 


PAUL REVERE’S RIDE 299 

taken just an hour. He arrived at the house 
where Hancock and Adams were staying, and 
found it to be well guarded by minute-men. 
They were at once aroused. 

In a very short time William Dawes ar- 
rived safely. They were joined by another 
patriot, Samuel Prescott, and soon were on 
their way to Concord. 

After riding about three miles, they encoun- 
tered a British patrol. Paul Revere and Wil- 
liam Dawes were taken prisoners, but Prescott 
managed to make his escape, and reached Con- 
cord safely. 

But the object of the ride had been accom- 
plished. The alarm was given, and the min- 
ute-men were out. 

The arms and ammunition at Concord were 
hidden before the British arrived, and the two 
leaders, Hancock and Adams, escaped arrest. 

Several hundred minute-men had met, and 
hiding behind the trees (for the country was 
well wooded), they awaited the British troops. 
Every American knew how to shoot, and from 
Concord to Lexington the British soldiers 
were constantly harrassed by the fire of an 


3 oo THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


unseen foe. They had absolutely no chance 
against the colonists, who were familiar with 
this woodland fighting, and their whole force 
would probably have been killed or captured 
had they not received reinforcements at Lex- 
ington, which they reached in a panic-stricken 
condition. They finally arrived at Boston, 
having sustained a loss of three hundred men. 


A PERFECT GENTLE KNIGHT 


ALTHOUGH Sir Philip Sidney did not live a 
long life, he left a name for knightly courage 
and courtesy which will never die. 

At the age of ten years he was sent away to 
school, and there he was loved by his comrades 
for his kindliness, his readiness to help others, 
and for his grace and reverence. As he grew 
toward manhood these qualities gained for 
him the love of many true friends who knew 
him well, and also that of others who had 
benefited by his assistance while unknown to 
him personally. 

The years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign are 
among the most glorious of England’s history, 
and in Philip Sidney’s character were com- 
bined the chivalrous and noble traits of his 
day, without the vices. 

It was an age of adventure, when the 
301 


302 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

thoughts of men turned towards the doings of 
such heroes of the sea as Drake, Frobisher, 
Hawkins, and others whose daring and cour- 
age made so strong an appeal to the young man 
of spirit 

The achievements of these men made Sid- 
ney long to found a colony across the seas, in 
which life should be made worth the living, 
where the government should be one of justice 
and mercy, and where none need fear for his 
well-being, provided he did but do his duty. 

He managed to incline Elizabeth to his 
great scheme to the extent of her granting him 
a charter permitting him to discover and in- 
habit a tract of land three millions of acres 
in extent. But first the land must be discov- 
ered. 

Sidney was thirty-one years of age when he 
and Sir Francis Drake planned an expedition 
to the west, bent on adventure and discovery. 
At this time the Queen was very insistent upon 
his presence at the court, and so great secrecy 
had to be observed. It was made to appear 
that the voyage was to be under the sole com- 
mand of Drake, and that Sidney should go to 


A PERFECT GENTLE KNIGHT 303 

Plymouth in the guise of a spectator when the 
expedition started. In reality he was to board 
ship, and be the second in command. 

Preparations for departure from England 
were made, when the Queen discovered the 
secret. She at once refused him permission 
to join the expedition, and instead sent him to 
Flanders, where the English at that time were 
fighting against the army of Spain. 

The town of Zutphen was being besieged, 
and Sidney was in command of a company of 
two hundred cavalry, with which he was en- 
deavoring to cut off Spanish reinforcements. 
There was a fog so thick that nothing could be 
seen twenty feet away. Suddenly a breeze 
sprang up, and the fog cleared, and there in 
front of them were a thousand of the enemy’s 
mounted troops, who at once charged upon 
the English. 

Sir Philip’s horse was killed from under 
him, but he managed to secure another. The 
fight against odds continued until help came, 
when the Spanish fled. During this conflict, 
Sidney received a bullet in the left leg, above 
the knee. The bone was broken, but he con- 


3 o 4 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

tinued to fight in the saddle until the Span- 
iards had fled. 

When he was lifted from his horse, he was 
in a terrible condition from loss of blood. But 
he suffered more from thirst than he did from 
his wound. He called for water and this was 
at once brought to him. Just as he was put- 
ting the cup to his lips, a wounded soldier was 
being carried by. The poor soldier cast long- 
ing eyes upon the water, and Sir Philip, know- 
ing the man to be burning with fever, even as 
he himself was, handed the cup to him un- 
touched, saying, “Drink first, friend, for your 
need is greater than mine.” 

Truly a knightly action, and one that will 
ever be remembered. 

Sir Philip had received his death wound. 
He lingered for a few days before the end 
came, and so passed away, at the early age of 
thirty-two, one of the most knightly and 
courtly men of an heroic age. 


‘REMEMBER THE ALAMO’ 


WHEN the Spaniards first settled on the San 
Antonio River they built, as was their custom, 
a large mission which they called the Alamo. 

The mission was built of stone, and was 
often used by the nearby settlers as a place of 
refuge when they were attacked by the In- 
dians, as sometimes happened. The building 
itself was quite a large one, and with the sur- 
rounding wall, it covered a space of about 
three acres. 

It was a place that could be easily defended 
against the Indians, whose chief weapon was 
the bow and arrow, but it was not strong 
enough to withstand artillery. 

When the people of Texas declared their 
independence, Mexico sent an army of nearly 
two thousand soldiers against them. But the 
Texans, although small in number, were real 
305 


3 o6 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

fighters, and they forced the Mexican com- 
mander to take refuge in the Alamo mission. 

The Texans numbered only a few more than 
two hundred, but they drove the Mexicans 
out of the Alamo, and among the prisoners 
they took was General Cos, a relative of Santa 
Anna, President of Mexico, to whom he was 
paroled. This was in the early autumn of 

1835- 

Early in the following year the famous 
hunter, David Crockett, came to San Antonio, 
which is on the side of the river opposite the 
Alamo. He crossed the river and went to the 
fort, where he was heartily welcomed by Col- 
onel Bowie and Lieutenant Colonel Travis, 
who were in command of a force of one hun- 
dred and sixty-two men. A few days after his 
arrival, the Texans were surprised by a Mexi- 
can army, led by Santa Anna himself, who de- 
manded the unconditional surrender of the 
Alamo and its defenders. 

Unfortunately, Colonel Bowie was very ill 
indeed at the time, so that all the responsibil- 
ity lay upon the shoulders of the second in 
command, Colonel Travis. 


“REMEMBER THE ALAMO” 307 

But Travis was a brave and worthy man, 
and without a moment’s hesitation, he refused 
Santa Anna’s demand, which he answered 
with a cannon shot. Orders were quickly is- 
sued, and everything was done to put the fort 
in the best possible state for defence. 

Colonel Travis sent two of his men for as- 
sistance, but although they managed to get 
through the Mexican lines, the help he so 
much needed did not reach him. A few days 
later he sent an officer who made a desperate, 
but successful, attempt to elude the vigilance 
of the besiegers. He narrowly escaped with 
his life, but finally reached a volunteer camp 
some distance away, and there he raised a 
small force of thirty-six men, who returned 
with him to the Alamo. 

It seems strange that they should all reach 
the fort without being discovered, but this 
they did, and now the garrison numbered 
about one hundred and ninety. 

One great point in favor of the Texans was 
that they knew how to shoot straight. Had 
the Mexicans been their equal in this respect, 
the brave defenders would soon have been an- 


3 o8 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

nihilated. For nearly two weeks cannon and 
rifle balls were fired at the little fort, but the 
loss of life was very small, and little damage 
was done. 

The Texans were sparing of their ammuni- 
tion, the supply of which was limited, and not 
a shot was wasted. It was marvelous that a 
mere handful of men should hold at bay so 
many times their number, and this fact gave 
them a feeling of confidence. 

But however skilfully the garrison might 
fight, Travis knew that this state of affairs 
could not last. Anxiously he looked for help, 
but none came. There was little rest for the 
devoted defenders; they were so small in num- 
ber that constant alertness was necessary. 

The Mexicans received reinforcements, and 
now were in a position for a frontal attack. 
Their army was divided into columns, each of 
which was provided with ladders. The officer 
commanding a column was given his particu- 
lar point of assault, and the whole was planned 
so that every side should be attacked at the 
same time. 

The signal for the advance was given at 


“REMEMBER THE ALAMO” 309 

daybreak, and every Mexican soldier was or- 
dered to give no quarter. The assault was 
made at the double, and before long the west 
side was scaled, and the brave defenders 
driven from the surrounding wall into the 
buildings. 

On the other side was the chapel, and here 
the Mexicans were repulsed, but at the cost of 
the life of Colonel Travis, who was shot 
through the head. On the north side an en- 
trance was effected, but at tremendous loss to 
the attackers. 

The Texans were fighting against over- 
whelming odds, and it was a case of each man 
for himself. There was no doubt as to the end, 
and each of the brave defenders thought only 
of fighting to the last, accounting for as many 
of his opponents as he could before he fell. 

The Texans had formed into small groups, 
having been unable to gather together, and 
these were still active, as the continually grow- 
ing heap of slain Mexicans showed. But the 
buildings in which they had taken refuge were 
carried by force of numbers, and the heroic 
garrison, one by one, fell. 


3 io THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

One of the last to die was Colonel Bowie. 
Lying sick in his bed as he was, he could still 
pull a trigger, and in this way he accounted 
for five Mexicans. The body of David Crock- 
ett was afterwards found near a cannon which 
had been turned upon the attacking party in 
the courtyard, and had done great execution. 

Of all who were in the Alamo, only two 
were left alive, one the wife of an officer, and 
the other a negro servant. 

Thus ended a defence than which for hero- 
ism and bravery no greater example can be 
shown in the history of this continent. “Re- 
member the Alamo” became the war-cry of 
the Texans which brought terror to the heart 
of the Mexican soldier, until Santa Anna was 
finally defeated at the battle of San Jacinto, 
and the independence of Texas won. 


PETER, THE HERO OF HAARLEM 


It was late in the afternoon, and just beginning 
to get dark, when Peter’s mother sent him on 
an errand, which took him about two miles 
from home. 

Peter was a brave little Dutch boy, who 
lived at Haarlem, with his mother. This town 
is on the coast, where the North Sea some- 
times gets very rough indeed. 

The coast of Holland is very low, and a 
great deal of the country is below the level of 
the sea, so that there used to be great floods, 
which would cause much damage and loss of 
life. 

To stop this the engineers built wonderful 
dikes to keep back the sea, and then it became 
safe for people to live there. 

On this particular afternoon, as Peter was 
returning home, he noticed a small stream of 


312 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

water running down the side of a dike. The 
sea was very rough, and the waves thundered 
as they hurled themselves against the walls, 
until it seemed as though nothing could with- 
stand their fury. 

Now everyone knew the danger of even the 
smallest leak in the walls of the dike, and 
Peter saw that something must be done at 
once to fill the hole, because though it were 
very small now, it would become larger and 
larger, until such a great volume of water 
would come through, that the low-lying coun- 
try would be flooded, and the people would 
have to flee for their lives. 

Without any hesitation he ran to the place 
where it was leaking, and found that he could 
just manage to fill the hole by thrusting his 
hand into it. 

He cried at the top of his voice for help, 
but no one came. It soon became quite dark, 
and he was lonely, and shivering with the cold. 
He was hungry, too, and wet through, but he 
knew that he must not take his hand away. 

How slowly the time passed! He shouted 
until he thought his throat would burst, and 


PETER, HERO OF HAARLEM 313 

still there was no one to answer his cries. He 
called out until his voice failed him. 

But the brave boy knew that he must not 
leave his post, even though it cost him his life 
to stay there. He thought of his mother and 
of all the people who were in danger, and he 
knew that he was doing only his duty. 

The hole gradually became larger, until at 
last it took his whole arm to stop the overflow 
of water. How stiff and sore he was, and how 
miserable he felt! But he was full of grit, and 
his courage never faltered. 

Just before the dawn, when the night is 
darkest, he saw a light. Nearer and nearer it 
came, and then he saw the forms of men, and 
knew they were searching for him. 

The thought of rescue put new life into 
Peter, and his voice came back to him. They 
lost no time in getting him home and into bed, 
and the leak in the dike was soon repaired. 

Peter’s mother had good reason to be proud 
of her courageous boy, the story of whose 
faithfulness and bravery will live forever. 

21 


ROGER WILLIAMS 


The Puritans had left their homes in Eng- 
land, and had risked their lives in crossing the 
Atlantic Ocean to establish, in an almost un- 
known country, a colony where they might 
worship according to their own religious ideas. 

The King of England had treated them 
harshly because they practised a form of re- 
ligion which differed from the established 
church, and they sought a place where they 
would be safe from persecution. 

So they came to America and settled in 
Massachusetts, the first of the New England 
states. 

As time went on they were joined by other 
Puritans from across the water. Some of the 
later arrivals had been people of wealth in 
England, and who had completed their edu- 
cation at the universities of Oxford or Cam- 
bridge. 


314 


ROGER WILLIAMS 


3i5 


There were strict laws in the new colony, 
and these were sternly enforced. For in- 
stance, there might be no work done on a Sun- 
day, and a man was not even allowed to kiss 
his sweetheart or his wife on the Sabbath day. 

Some of the settlers found these laws to be 
very irksome, and there were those, especially 
among the better educated, who advocated 
more liberal ideas. Perhaps the better known 
of these was Roger Williams, who, with his 
bride, arrived at Boston in the winter of 1631. 
He had left England on account of the relig- 
ious persecution there, and had no doubt that 
perfect freedom would be found in the new 
colony. 

He soon left Boston and went to Salem, 
where he was elected assistant preacher of the 
church. Here he courageously preached as 
he believed, and in a short while was obliged 
by the magistrates to leave the town. He and 
his wife then went to Plymouth, where they 
lived for two years, when they were allowed 
to return to Salem. 

While at Plymouth, Williams saw a great 
deal of the Indians, of whom he became very 


316 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

fond. He not only learned their language, 
but he came to understand their nature, and 
gained their trust and friendship. 

King James had given permission to the 
Puritans to occupy the land upon which they 
settled, and Roger Williams said that this be- 
longed to the Indians, and therefore the King 
had no right to give it away. 

This brought down upon his head the wrath 
of the Puritan magistrates, who were already 
angry with him because he had suggested in 
his preaching that there should be greater 
freedom than was permitted by their stern 
laws. He was a very forceful preacher, and 
his listeners began to think that perhaps he 
was right. 

The authorities were aroused at the way in 
which he was gaining influence among the 
colonists, and so he was ordered to leave 
Massachusetts. 

During his ministry he had worked very 
hard, and about this time he was stricken with 
illness, so he was allowed to stay at Salem 
through the winter on condition that he did 
not preach. 


ROGER WILLIAMS 317 

But though he could not go to church, many 
of his friends came to visit him, and then it 
was determined that he should not merely be 
banished from Massachusetts, but should be 
sent back to England. 

The news was secretly brought to Roger 
Williams, and he made up his mind to seek 
his Indian friends, with whom he knew he 
would be safe. It was hard to leave his wife 
and two little children, but there was no help 
for it, so he bade them good-bye. 

Taking a hatchet, flint and steel, and as 
much food as he could carry, he started upon 
his journey to Mount Hope, where his Indian 
friend, chief Massasoit, lived. The distance 
was about eighty miles and he had only a com- 
pass to guide him. 

It is wonderful that he ever reached his 
destination. The cold was intense, and he had 
but recently risen from a bed of sickness. The 
snow lay deep upon the ground ; numbed and 
hungry, he toiled slowly on, until he lost 
knowledge of time and distance. 

The journey was a terrible one, and often 
was he tempted to give up, lay down in the 


3 i8 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

snow, and die. But he thought of his wife 
and children, and of the good work that he 
felt he was yet to do, and he struggled on. In 
about three months he reached the Indian vil- 
lage, and there Massasoit welcomed him. 

When the weather became warm the In- 
dians gave him land at a place called See- 
konk, and here he intended to form a settle- 
ment where there should be complete religious 
freedom. He had actually commenced the 
work of building the houses, when he received 
word from the governor of Massachusetts, 
who was friendly towards him, that this land 
belonged to that colony. 

This made it necessary for him to seek an- 
other place, and so he asked the advice of his 
Indian friends. They told him of a beautiful 
spot on the shores of Narragansett Bay, where 
there was good spring water, and this land 
Roger, and some of his friends who had come 
to him, purchased from them and there 
founded a settlement to which they gave the 
name of Providence. 

And so in 1636 began the colonizing of 
Rhode Island. The word went forth that here 


ROGER WILLIAMS 


3i9 


was a place where all would be welcome, and 
where those who came would enjoy absolute 
freedom as to religious worship, and where 
the government was one of lawful equality. 

Roger Williams was a man of high ideals. 
He was courageous enough to say and to do 
what he thought to be right. He bore no ill- 
will toward those who had driven him from 
Massachusetts, and on one occasion he saved 
many of them from being massacred by the 
Narragansett and Pequot Indians, at the risk 
of his own life. 

In 1643 he returned to England, and pro- 
cured a charter for the now prosperous col- 
ony of Rhode Island, and in 1654 was elected 
its president. In 1683, having reached the 
age of eighty-four years, he was laid to his 
rest, mourned alike by red man and white. 


THE FALL OF QUEBEC 


William Pitt, Prime Minister of England, 
had formed a scheme to drive the French out 
of Canada. He was quick to discover merit 
in others, and was a keen judge of character. 
He gave to James Wolfe the supreme com- 
mand of this important expedition. 

Wolfe’s father was a soldier of note, and 
this is probably the reason for the son’s having 
chosen a military career. At fifteen years of 
age young Wolfe received a commission as 
ensign, and served with the British army in 
Flanders. There he showed such ability, that, 
although a mere boy, his promotion was rapid. 
Events proved that the great Pitt acted with 
wisdom when he selected this comparatively 
young man, then thirty-two years of age, for 
a position of such consequence. 

On February 17, 1759, Wolfe set sail from 

320 


THE FALL OF QUEBEC 321 

England in command of an army of between 
eight and nine thousand men, and on June 
twenty-sixth, he landed his forces on the island 
of Orleans, almost opposite the citadel of Que- 
bec. 

The season being very hot and rainy, there 
was a great deal of sickness among his men, 
and Wolfe himself was stricken with fever. 
He begged his physician to patch him up so 
that he could show himself among his soldiers, 
and hearten them all he could. 

There was some desultory fighting near 
Quebec, but no gains for either English or 
French. Thus matters stood until the summer 
began to wane, and still nothing was accom- 
plished. 

Montcalm, the French commander, was a 
wily and skilful general, and he foiled the at- 
tempts of Wolfe to obtain a footing in Quebec 
itself. 

At last Wolfe decided to stake all in one 
desperate attempt, and so one night, having 
previously discovered through careful search- 
ing with his telescope an insufficiently guarded 
point in the high cliffs, he scaled the heights, 


322 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

and by daybreak on the morning of Septem- 
ber thirteenth, he was with his army on the 
plains of Abraham, overlooking the city. 

The young commander had no doubt that 
victory would be his, although his army had 
dwindled to five thousand men, and opposed 
to them were nearly twice that number. 

The scaling of the cliffs had been an oper- 
ation of almost unbelievable difficulty, one 
that was perhaps without a parallel in war. 
But he was a man of indomitable courage, 
and his soldiers loved and trusted him, and 
would follow him anywhere. 

He was weakened by fever, and something 
told him that death would come to him dur- 
ing the battle, but his will was strong, and he 
did not falter. The strain upon him was great, 
and to relieve his feelings while floating in his 
boat down the river toward the spot selected 
for the landing, he recited his favorite poem, 
Gray’s “Elegy in a Country Churchyard.” 

Having finished the poem he turned to those 
about him and said: “Gentlemen, I would 
rather have written those lines than take Que- 
bec.” 


THE FALL OF QUEBEC 323 


In the morning Montcalm was astounded to 
see the British army in battle array on the 
plains of Abraham. He knew the fight would 
be desperate, because there was no way of re- 
treat open to his opponents. 

The battle was fast and furious, and where 
it was the hottest, there was Wolfe. He was 
shot through the wrist, but nothing daunted, 
he bound the wound with his handkerchief. 
Again he was struck by a bullet, but he re- 
fused to leave the front. A third bullet 
brought him to the ground, and he was carried 
to the rear, mortally wounded. Knowing that 
his end was near, he refused the services of a 
surgeon, who, he said, would be better en- 
gaged in helping others. 

He had almost passed away, when he heard 
someone say, “They run; they run.” He 
asked, “Who runs?” “The enemy, sir,” was 
the reply. 

He rallied for a moment and gave one final 
order. Then saying, “Now God be praised! 
I die in peace,” his spirit fled. 

The victory was a decisive one, the enemy 
being completely routed. The citadel of Que- 


3 2 4 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

bee soon capitulated, and thus was decided the 
fate of Canada. 

The battle also saw the end of another noted 
soldier, for Montcalm, too, died like a hero. 
This gallant general was shot through the 
body, and with almost his last breath, he paid 
the following tribute of a true soldier to the 
valor of his enemy: 

“As it is my misfortune for my army to be 
beaten and myself to be mortally wounded,’’ 
said he, “I have the consolation of having been 
defeated by so brave an enemy. If I could sur- 
vive, I would engage to beat three times the 
number of such forces as mine were, with a 
third of the British troops.” 


NATHAN HALE, PATRIOT 


In the autumn of 1769 Nathan Hale, then 
fourteen years of age, began his college life 
at Yale. He was always eager to learn, and 
having been endowed with ability of a high 
order, his parents were anxious that his edu- 
cation be as liberal as possible. 

As a child he was not robust, but his mother 
wisely saw that he spent much of his time in 
the open air, and encouraged him to indulge 
in games and exercises that would develop his 
body, and her care was rewarded by his in- 
creasing health and strength. 

In character he was loyal and true, and, as 
perhaps is seldom the case, he was equally well 
liked by his school teachers and class-mates. 

He was especially popular at Yale because 
of his athletic prowess. For this he became 
noted, and none of his fellow athletes could 
325 


326 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

compare with him at swimming, vaulting, 
shooting with the rifle, or high and broad 
jumping. For the latter he established a rec- 
ord which stood for many years. 

It was Nathan Hale’s way to put his heart 
and soul into anything he undertook to do, and 
as it was with athletics, so it was with his 
studies. 

He left Yale when eighteen years of age, 
and accepted the position of teacher at a school 
in East Haddam, Connecticut. Here he was 
so successful that other institutions sought to 
secure his services, and in the following year 
he took charge of the Union School, in New 
London. 

In addition to his duties at this school, he 
conducted a class for young ladies between 
the hours of five and seven o’clock in the 
morning. It is a tribute either to his skill as 
a teacher or to his personality that he should 
be able to attract pupils to a class at such un- 
usual hours. 

Although so young, Hale felt that he had a 
call to teach, and we can see that he was meet- 
ing with success in his chosen career. But 


NATHAN HALE, PATRIOT 327 

Fate had decreed that he should be remem- 
bered not as a teacher, but as a loyal patriot. 

For ten years there had been continual op- 
position among the American people to being 
subject to taxation without representation in 
the British Parliament. Dissatisfaction grew 
and finally came the Revolution. 

The first act of violence to cause the shed- 
ding of blood took place on April 19th, 1775, 
when eight hundred soldiers, whom General 
Gage had despatched the previous night to de- 
stroy the ammunition which the people of 
Boston had sent to Concord, came into contact 
with the minute-men. 

The alarm had been spread by Paul Re- 
vere and William Dawes, and at two o’clock 
in the morning one hundred and thirty patriots 
had assembled on Lexington Common, under 
the command of Captain Parker. At five 
o’clock the British soldiers reached the com- 
mon, and the minute-men were ordered to 
throw down their arms. 

This they refused to do, and then the order 
to fire was given. Sixteen patriots were killed 
or wounded as a result of this volley, and thus 


328 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

was the first blood of the American Revolu- 
tion shed. 

In less than a week nearly five thousand 
men had left their occupations, in the city or 
on the farm, and had volunteered their ser- 
vices to the leaders of the Revolution in Bos- 
ton. Among them was the veteran Israel Put- 
nam, who, on hearing the news, lost no time 
in heading a number of volunteers, and march- 
ing with them to headquarters. 

The news of the fighting had spread rap- 
idly, and meetings were held in village, town, 
and city. At one of these, held in New Lon- 
don, Nathan Hale was one of the chief speak- 
ers. Had he been ruled by his own impulse, 
he would have been the first to join the com- 
pany which was raised that night, and which 
started for Boston the next day. But he did 
great work during the following few weeks in 
gaining recruits for the Revolutionary cause. 

Hale wrote to his father, requesting his per- 
mission to join the forces which were being 
raised, and having received this, the next step 
was to secure a release from his contract with 
the authorities of the Union School. Having 


NATHAN HALE, PATRIOT 329 

gained this he was offered, and accepted, a 
commission in the Seve th Continental regi- 
ment. 

His energies were now directed toward 
making himself proficient as a soldier and an 
officer. Early in the fall his regiment was 
ordered to Boston, and in the following spring 
to New York. 

The soldiers belonging to the regiments 
stationed at New York had become dissatis- 
fied with conditions. They were but poorly 
fed and clothed, and there were many deser- 
tions. Numbers of men, who had enlisted for 
a short period, were unwilling to re-enlist 
when their time was up, and this state of af- 
fairs was very trying to General Washington 
and his officers, who were well aware that the 
men had good reason for complaint. Nathan 
Hale himself promised to share his own pay 
with his company if they would stay with 
him. 

The Continental Army numbered on paper 
about twenty thousand men, but not more than 
half of these were ready for duty, there be- 
ing many sick and on furlough. And the men 

22 


330 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 


being for the most part raw recruits, it will be 
easily seen that every officer had to work hard 
in order to bring to a proper state of discipline 
among those under his command. 

Two days before Christmas, 1775, Lieuten- 
ant Hale went to Connecticut in order to gain 
recruits, and on this mission he was fairly suc- 
cessful. With those he had secured, he went 
to the camp near Boston, which place he 
reached about the end of January, 1776. He 
was then promoted to the rank of captain, be- 
ing assigned to the Nineteenth regiment. 

All through the winter Washington be- 
seiged the city of Boston, and in the spring 
the American forces beseiged Dorchester 
Heights, from which point they could com- 
mand the city with their artillery, and Gen- 
eral Howe was obliged to retire. The com- 
manders of the two armies agreed that the 
British should leave Boston unmolested on 
condition that the city be not destroyed. 

On March seventh the British army sailed 
away, and on the twentieth Washington and 
his soldiers entered the city in triumph. 

Soon after this the American commander- 


NATHAN HALE, PATRIOT 331 

in-chief went to New York with a large part 
of his army, and among them was Nathan 
Hale. 

During the summer the English had as- 
sembled an army of twenty-five thousand men, 
in addition to seventeen thousand Hessians. 
Washington’s forces occupied Brooklyn and 
part of New York, which places he fortified. 

Nathan Hale wrote to his brother Enoch 
from New York on August twentieth. It was 
the last of his letters to reach its destination, 
and it showed how near to his heart was the 
cause for which he was fighting. 

On the morning of August twenty-seventh, 
the British army attacked the Americans in 
the neighborhood of Brooklyn, and the latter 
were defeated and retreated within their for- 
tifications. Two days later Washington with- 
drew his whole army to New York. 

This change of position was a remarkable 
and hazardous performance, and was effected 
during the night. The Americans were 
helped by a thick fog which covered Long 
Island, and at daybreak, when the fog had 
cleared away, the movement was discovered 


332 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

by the British, who at once took possession of 
the abandoned entrenchments. But every- 
thing of value had been removed, there being 
nothing left behind other than a few useless 
guns. 

The British fleet took up a position within 
cannon-shot of New York, and Washington 
entrenched his army at Harlem Heights. 
The Americans were safe for the time being, 
but their position was a dangerous one. 

What General Washington now desired 
was information as to the enemy’s movements. 
To obtain this accurately required the ser- 
vices of a spy of more than average ability. 
He must be a skilful draughtsman, that he 
might make sketches of the fortifications; he 
must understand military science, be able to 
estimate the number of the enemy, and be 
calm and collected under any condition that 
might arise. 

A volunteer was required to undertake this 
dangerous mission, and Hale at once offered 
his services. It was a thing that a man could 
not be ordered to do, and his friends tried in 
vain to move him from his purpose. They 


NATHAN HALE, PATRIOT 333 

told him that it was not his nature to act as a 
spy, and that he could not make use of such 
deceit as would be necessary. He was re- 
minded of the ignominious end that would be 
his if he were captured. 

But all of these arguments were without 
avail. It was quite probable that he would 
lose his life, and life is particularly sweet to 
an ambitious young man. Here was a duty to 
be performed, one that required a cool head, 
tact, skill and ability. All of these were his, 
and he would not shrink from any service, 
however distasteful or dangerous, that his 
country required. 

He bade his friends farewell, and left the 
camp during the first week of September, 
dressed as a civilian. 

Hale reached New York safely, but of his 
adventures there nothing is known. However, 
he gained the necessary information, and by 
September twenty-first was prepared to make 
his way back to the American lines. 

It has never become known who betrayed 
him to the British, but that night he was cap- 
tured. It is supposed that he had been sue- 


334 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

cessful in making his way through the British 
army, both on Long Island and in New York. 
There he was arrested, and upon him were 
found sketches of the fortifications, together 
with various memoranda written in Latin. 

He was taken before Sir William Howe, 
to whom he told his name, rank, and reason for 
having been in New York. 

There was no formal trial, and Nathan 
Hale expected none. When he embarked 
upon his perilous mission he knew, that if 
caught, he must expect no mercy. His cour- 
age was equal to the demand made upon it, 
and he did not quail. He was condemned to 
be executed the following morning, and Sir 
William Howe placed him in the care of 
William Cunningham, provost marshal of 
the British army. 

Nathan Hale made two requests of Cun- 
ningham, first for the services of a clergyman 
of his faith, and secondly for a Bible. Both 
were refused. 

He was accompanied to his prison cell, in 
which he was to spend his last night upon 
earth, by Captain John Montressor, aide to 


NATHAN HALE, PATRIOT 335 

Sir William Howe. This officer was greatly 
attracted to Hale by the courage and dignity 
with which he bore himself, and asked if there 
were anything he could do for him ? “I should 
esteem it a favor if you would allow me pen, 
ink and paper,” said Hale. 

Cunningham protested against this, but 
Montressor paid no attention to him, and at 
once procured the desired articles. 

Nathan Hale spent the night in writing 
farewell letters to his relatives and friends, 
but these last words of his were destroyed in 
the morning by the brutal Cunningham. 

The execution was to have taken place in 
the early morning of September twenty-sec- 
ond, but owing to the fact that a disastrous 
fire occurred in the city, the provost mar- 
shal’s arrangements were delayed until the 
noon hour. 

He was about to take his last look upon 
earth. Quiet and dignified he stood among 
those assembled to see him die. Cunningham 
asked if he wished to say anything, and Hale 
replied, in a voice that thrilled the listeners, 
“My only regret is that I have but one life 
to lose for my country.” 


336 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

A sentiment which will live so long as there 
are true men and women. The signal was 
given, and in a few moments all was over. 

And so, at the early age of twenty-one, died 
Captain Nathan Hale. Ambitious, and en- 
dowed with more than ordinary ability, 
strength, and courage, he sacrificed his life 
upon the altar of patriotism. When he en- 
gaged upon his last service, he well knew the 
risk he ran, and he looked for no reward other 
than the knowledge that he had done his duty 
to his country, and he freely gave his life for 
the cause which he considered sacred. 


THE SPARTAN THREE HUNDRED 


The Pass of Thermopylae led from Thessaly 
into Locris, and it varied in width from ten 
to fifty feet. Xerxes, King of Persia, had set 
out with an army of two and a half millions of 
men to invade the Grecian states, and there 
were only two narrow passes through which 
the Persians might reach Greece itself. For 
the defence of one of these, Thermopylae, 
there were gathered three hundred Spartans, 
under the command of the king, Leonidas. 

The oracle at Delphi had foretold that the 
King of Sparta would die in this defence, but 
of death Leonidas was not afraid, and he was 
very willing to sacrifice his life for his coun- 
try. 

King Xerxes, knowing how brave the Spar- 
tans were, and that they would die rather than 
accept defeat, encamped his immense army in 

337 


338 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

full view of the defenders, thinking that even 
they would see how hopeless was their cause 
when they were but a few opposed to millions. 

Thus he allowed five days to pass, and then, 
as no envoy from the Spartans came, he grew 
furious, and commanded the Medes and Scyth- 
ians to capture the Greeks, and bring them be- 
fore him. 

Then thousands went against three hundred, 
only to be slain. For two days the flower of 
the great Persian army, including the war- 
riors known as the Immortal Ten Thousand, 
hurled themselves against the devoted and 
dauntless Spartans, but without avail. 

Though great in number, the space in which 
to fight was so limited, that the Persians could 
make no headway, and Xerxes even began to 
despair. 

But there was a traitor among the Greeks, 
named Ephialtes. He was not one of the 
three hundred, these being all tried men and 
true. Greedy and grasping, he was willing to 
sell his country for gold. 

It was on the evening of the second day that 
this faithless man made his way into the pres- 


SPARTAN THREE HUNDRED 339 

ence of the Persian King. To him he pro- 
posed that in return for a great reward, he 
would show his soldiers a hidden mountain 
path by which the Spartans could be surprised 
from the rear. 

Xerxes accepted the offer, and sent one of 
his great generals, with a large body of men, 
to be guided by the traitor over this secret 
path. 

Leonidas had set a guard of Athenians at 
this spot, and when they saw the enemy so 
near, they sought a position where they might 
withstand them. But the Persians only ig- 
nored them, and went on down the mountain 
under the guidance of Ephilates. 

The Persian scouts were seen by the brave 
Spartans when morning came, and the defend- 
ers of the Pass, knowing the danger that now 
threatened them from the rear, took counsel 
together. The three hundred would not 
desert their post, holding such a course to be 
a shameful thing, and so they made themselves 
ready to fight to the death. 

Until this time Leonidas had acted only 
upon the defensive, but now, with the enemy 


340 THE RUBY STORY BOOK 

swarming upon them from both front and rear, 
there was only one thing for them to do as per- 
mitted by their code of honor. They must 
fight and die to the last man, and thus uphold 
the glory of Sparta. 

So the Spartan King and his warriors fell 
upon the advance-guard of the Persian host. 
They were few in numbers, but such was the 
fear of them in the hearts of their enemy, that 
the Persian officers were compelled to flog 
their men in order to keep them from running 
away. 

It was a terrific struggle, and one to which 
there could be but one end. Among the first 
to fall was the brave Leonidas, but his death 
made his soldiers fight with greater despera- 
tion. 

The last stand was made in the narrowest 
part of the Pass. Only a few Spartans were 
left now, and with the Persian soldiers, ready 
to attack these from the rear, were the Immor- 
tal Ten Thousand, who were among those led 
by the traitor over the mountain by the hidden 
path. 

The three hundred were killed. To the 


SPARTAN THREE HUNDRED 341 

last man they bravely faced the foe, and by 
sunset not one remained alive. But of their 
enemy more than twenty thousand were slain. 

In the Pass of Thermopylae the Spartans 
were buried, and there monuments were 
erected in honor of the heroic Leonidas and 
his brave Three Hundred, who made so val- 
iant an attempt to stem the tide of Persian in- 
vasion. 





Sources of Tales 


Title 

Capture of Vincennes, The . 

Cid and King Alphonso, The 
Conjurer, The . 

Courage of Grace Darling, 

The 

Daniel in the Lions’ Den 
Daring of Black Agnes, The 
David and Jonathan . 

Dietrich 

Fall of Quebec, The . 

First Christmas Tree, The 

Hagen 

Havelok the Dane 
Hengest and Horsa 
Hettel the Hegeling . 

Horatius at the Bridge . 
King Richard and the Min- 
strel 

King Rother’s Journey . 
King Rother’s Messengers . 
Lord Beichen . 

, Magna Carta 

; Messengers Freed, The . 
i Nathan Hale, Patriot 
j OHver and the Giant . 

1 

j Paul Revere’s Ride 
| Perfect Gentle Knight, A . 

Peter, the Hero of Haarlem . 


Source Page 

Life of George Rogers 

Clark .... 282 
Spanish Legend . . 11 

Tales of Langobard . 165 

England .... 3 

Old Testament . . 70 

Scottish Ballad . . 31 

Old Testament . . 59 

Swiss Legend ... 93 

Death of General Wolfe 320 
Life of St. Boniface . 277 
Irish Legend . . . 133 

Lincolnshire Legend . 212 
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 186 
Legend of the Middle 

Ages . . . . 114 

Roman Legend 258 

English Legend . . 245 

Tales of Langobard . 149 
Tales of Langobard . 143 

Old Ballads . . 178 


History of England . 75 

Tales of Langobard . 158 
American Revolution . 325 
Legends of Charle- 
magne ... 233 
American Revolution . 294 
Life of Sir Philip Sid- 
ney . . . .301 

Story of Holland . . 311 


SOURCES 

OF TALES 


Title 

Source 

Page 

Pilgrim Fathers, The 

Voyage of the “May- 



flower” 

288 

“Remember the Alamo” . 

Texan War of Inde- 



pendence . 

305 

Return of Odysseus, The 

Greek Myths . 

266 

Robin Hood and King Rich- 
ard 

English Ballad 

206 

Roger Williams . 

Early American His- 


Saint Andrew’s Fight with 

tory . 

314 

the Wizard . 

Scottish Legend . 

225 

Saint Cuthbert . 

Lives of the Saints . 

45 

Saint Francis of Assisi 

Lives of the Saints . 

35 

Saint George and the Dragon 

Legendary Ballads . 

193 

Sir Andrew Barton 

Six Brave Burghers of Calais, 

Legendary Ballad 

122 

The 

French History . 

26 

Spartan Three Hundred 

Story of Old Greece . 

337 

Walter Raleigh and His Cloak 

Sir Walter Scott’s 


Kenilworth . 

83 

William, Count of Orange 

Carolingian Legend . 

100 




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